Through Glass
by Hobbit985
Summary: Gwen has been giving Owen the cold shoulder and he wants to know why. When she reveals the truth though it seems that Gwen and Owen are going to cut themselves off from the world, as though they're watching it through glass... TORCHWOOD FIC
1. Christmas Miracles

Owen wasn't sure when things first started getting awkward between him and Gwen. It just sort of happened. A few days after Toshiko had found out about them, Gwen just suddenly went cold. She'd avoid Owen at all costs; even if that meant she got Jack to change her shifts, claiming that Rhys was getting suspicious.

Owen didn't push it. He assumed Gwen was having second thoughts about their affair. He still made small gestures like bringing her coffee Ianto had made to show he was interested, but Gwen kept her head down and only spoke him when it was absolutely necessary.

As the months progressed Owen noticed more and more that Gwen was closing herself off from the whole group and not just him. He talked to Toshiko about it, but she just said that Gwen was probably stressed and Owen should try to think about something else.

It was Christmas Eve when things finally came to a head. Jack had this tradition that every Christmas they had to have a party in the hub; keep things normal. So this year the whole team had decorated the hub with tinsel and baulbauls. They were going to put some fairy lights up, but Ianto thought it might bother their pterodactyl.

Jack had somehow managed to get hold of a black bag full of mistletoe and after putting it all round the hub was hovering underneath it hopefully. It was a bit cheeky since he'd managed to get one kiss off everyone already.

Toshiko was in her element trying to get Owen to dance to the Christmas music playing. Owen was trying hard not to look like he was enjoying himself, but it was obvious he was. Ianto was stood in the middle, trying to keep away from the mistletoe, a pair of light up boppers on his head. Jack had threatened to feed Ianto to the Weevil if he didn't wear them.

Gwen was huddled at her desk, putting up tinsel as slowly as she could so she could avoid getting involved. Jack frowned, noticing this and wandered over to her. She looked pale and like she was about to throw up.

"Alright, Gwen?" He asked, leaning on her desk and looking at her carefully.

"Yeah," Gwen smiled weakly. "Just don't feel well, that's all. Probably flu."

Jack could tell she was lying, but he didn't press the matter further. He squeezed her shoulder gently and left her to her thoughts, spotting Ianto in the process of taking off his boppers.

"Back on, Jones!" He called, running over.

Gwen felt even worse lying to Jack, but how could she tell him the truth? How could she tell anyone the truth? In reality it was her own stupid fault that she was even in this mess.

Toshiko had stopped dancing and was talking to Jack who was attempting to turn Ianto into a Christmas tree. Owen took his chance and walked up to Gwen, drink in hand.

"Ok, enough's enough," He said, pulling a chair towards her and sitting next to her, handing Gwen the drink he had.

"What?" She asked, taking the drink and avoiding his gaze.

"I've stepped back for months now and not asked questions," Owen continued. "But I think I deserve to know what's wrong?"

Gwen finally looked up at him, and for the first time in months Owen was able to see that he wasn't the problem.

"I've been really stupid," Gwen said quietly.

"Nothing new," Owen said smiling slightly. Gwen whacked him, but wasn't able to smile properly. "Sorry, carry on."

"I've got us into the worst situation possible," Gwen said, running her hand through her hair. "And when Rhys finds out…"

"Finds out what?" Owen asked worriedly.

"Come on you two!" Jack called, as he and Tosh attacked Ianto with tinsel.

"Go on, go have fun," Gwen said, resting her chin on her arms on top of the desk. "I don't feel well."

Owen opened his mouth to protest but Jack called him again. He sighed, promising himself that he'd catch Gwen before she left.

"What are you doing to the poor guy?" Owen asked as Ianto tried desperately to get away. This was made difficult by the fact that tinsel was now preventing Ianto from seeing where he was going.

The evening flew by and it was past midnight before Jack finally let them return home. As Toshiko and Owen were packing up Jack was still helping Ianto untangle himself.

Owen almost missed Gwen slipping out before the rest of them noticed, but, just in time, he spotted her running up the corridor.

I'll see you later, yeah?" Owen said quickly to Tosh.

"Bye, merry Christmas!" Tosh called after Owen. He turned and waved shouting merry Christmas over his shoulder.

Owen hurtled up the corridors finding it infuriating the way Gwen was so fast considering she was meant to be ill.

"Gwen, wait!" Owen shouted finally catching up with her outside the hub, next to the waterfall.

Gwen finally stopped, turning back to Owen who could see her face was streaked with fresh tears. She pulled her coat tighter around her and Owen frowned. Gwen was really worried about something.

"What's wrong? You're really freaking me out now," Owen said standing in front of her.

"I've…" Gwen paused and sobbed. Owen put his arm round her.

"Tell me," he said soothingly.

"I'm pregnant! With your child!" Gwen said, gripping Owen tightly.


	2. Tension

Owen had never really thought about it properly but if someone had asked him he would've said that one day he'd settle down and start a family. What he had never planned was to end up being a dad at twenty six, with a woman who was having an affair.

Owen wasn't trying to palm all the blame onto Gwen, after all if it wasn't for him she'd probably be married and having kids with Rhys right now, but somehow, Owen never imagined he'd be in this situation.

The only thing that made contact with his brain was the noise of the waterfall next to them and Gwen sobbing in his arms.

"I…" Owen tried to speak and found that his mouth wouldn't make the sounds that his brain was telling him to.

"I'm sorry," Gwen said pulling away from him and wiping her face furiously. "I wasn't going to tell you…"

Finally something connected with his brain and he looked at Gwen seriously as she shuffled her feet awkwardly.

"You weren't going to tell me?" He asked weakly. Gwen shook her head. "But how are you even…"

He gestured at her, utterly stunned.

"Owen we've had plenty of drunken nights when we could've forgotten protection," Gwen replied sadly.

"Are you sure it's not-?"

"No, Rhys is not the father. I haven't slept with him since…" Gwen didn't finish her sentence but Owen knew what she'd been going to say.

"Right," Owen ran a hand through his hair.

"You were never meant to find out," Gwen continued. "I made an appointment for next week."

"You what?" Owen frowned. Was she saying what he thought she was?

"I can't keep it, Owen," Gwen said, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her coat. "An affair is one thing, but I can't lie to Rhys about the parentage of a baby."

"Then dump him!" Owen said quickly, grabbing Gwen's shoulders and turning her to look at him. "But you can't kill our child."

"Owen, you know why I can't dump Rhys," Gwen said avoiding eye contact.

"No, I don't," Owen said shaking his head. "As far as I can tell you love one of us and the other is just a bit on the side, but I don't which I am, Gwen."

"Owen, that's not fair," Gwen protested wriggling out of his grip.

"Gwen don't do this," Owen called after her as she walked away.

"It's my choice Owen," Gwen called back without turning. "Don't make it any harder than it already is."

Owen was going to go after her, but decided perhaps she needed time to think things over. He certainly did. He headed back to his own flat, snow beginning to fall gently as he walked.

Once he was inside his flat he was able to think a little straighter. Not much straighter mind; the only thing that was bothering him right then was to change Gwen's mind. She couldn't spring something as big as this on him only to wash it away.

He paced about the flat for a most of the night, kicking files from work that he'd strewn over the floor out of the way. It was dawn before he finally stopped; coming to a decision about what he was going to do.

Gwen had walked round the block a few times to calm herself down and get rid of any stray tears before heading home, fake smile and all.

"Sorry I'm late," she called out as she came into the hall. "I had a tone of paper work."

She hung up her coat and wandered through to the living room to find Rhys watching the T.V. He smiled faintly at her before turning his attention back to the programme he was watching.

Gwen sighed slightly and walked into the kitchen to make herself something to eat. It'd been like this ever since the start of her affair. She'd come home and they wouldn't even talk anymore. Gwen was sure that part of Rhys knew what was going on; he just couldn't bring himself to ask.

As she stared at the food in the fridge she suddenly felt sick, and only just made it to the sink in time. Rhys looked up then concerned. He got up and went to her side.

"You alright?" He asked, concern etched over his face. Gwen looked at him sadly and wished she could tell him everything. She hated lying.

"Yeah," she mumbled. "Must've been something I ate."

"Come on," Rhys said leading her towards their bedroom. "Can't have you ill over Christmas. You need some sleep. It's all those late nights that are doing this to you."

Gwen wished it really was the late nights making her ill. At least then it would be a simple matter of going to Jack, and asking him for a few days off.

But this was much bigger than that. She'd just go to the hospital and get rid of it. No one but she and Owen would ever know that this child had existed. If only it were that simple.

Gwen couldn't sleep. She pretended to be in a deep sleep when Rhys came to bed a while after he'd sorted her out, but how could she sleep knowing that she was carrying some one else's child?

At four in the morning Gwen gave up trying to sleep and got up, pulling on her dressing gown and wandering into the living room. She sat in the window bay looking out over Cardiff and wondering how this mess had started. Even though she knew it was her fault she was pregnant she still couldn't help blaming Torchwood for dragging her into this dark and dangerous world.

She picked up her mobile from the table and began to text Owen, needing someone who understood to talk to.

_R U ok? Sorry 4 springing this on u._

_Love G x_

Across Cardiff city centre, on the other side of the bay, Owen sat looking out of his own window and wasn't surprised when his mobile bleeped to signal the arrival of a text.

When he saw it was from Gwen his heartbeat sped up. He quickly set about returning her text, his thumb running over the buttons at lightning speed.

_Can't sleep either:P I'm ok. Please don't go through with the abortion tho._

_Love O x_

Gwen sighed sadly when she saw Owen's response. She might've known he'd put up a fight. Deep down she didn't want to kill this baby either, but she couldn't lie to Rhys. She couldn't dump him either; he was her only hold on normality anymore, even if they weren't really getting on.

_I have 2 Owen. U no y. I need ur support on this._

_G x_

When Owen read her next text his mind was made up. He really didn't want it to come to this but sometimes you had to be cruel to be kind.

_If u don't tell him I will. I'm sorry but I can't let u do this. U've got 20 mins._

_O x_

Gwen could feel her heart jump into her mouth as she read what Owen had written. He wouldn't… would he? She had to stop him, he'd ruin everything. She texted him back telling him not to, but Owen must've turned his phone off, or be ignoring her because he didn't text her again.

She got dressed quickly and quietly and went to wait outside the flat. She couldn't let Owen do this to Rhys. Not on Christmas day of all days. That would be like rubbing it in his face.

Exactly twenty minutes later she saw Owen heading up the road and stood, arms folded, waiting for him to reach her. He stopped in front of her, their eyes locking.

"Owen-"

"Don't 'Owen' me," Owen replied. "I can't just stand back and let you kill our child. You said it yourself, if Rhys wasn't around it'd be fine wouldn't it?"

"No, Owen, it wouldn't," Gwen said shaking her head. "Even if we were together properly, we haven't planned this child; we're not ready to be parents!"

"Speak for yourself," Owen said glaring at her. "It's your choice. Tell him, or I will."

Gwen just stood glaring at him as if daring him to do it. She thought he would turn around and go back to his own flat. On the contrary Owen barged past her and up towards her flat.

"Owen, wait!" Gwen charged after him, but it was too late.

Owen was already opening the door to her flat when she made it up the stairs. She paled as she saw Owen approach Rhys. Her mind was screaming 'don't!' but her mouth wouldn't form the words. What happened next surprised both Owen and Gwen.

"Hello, Owen," Rhys said sadly looking from Owen to Gwen.

Owen and Gwen both frowned. Since when did Rhys know anything about Torchwood? Including its members?


	3. Friend In Need

Gwen was not usually someone who had nothing to say. But Rhys knowing who Owen was was just a little too much and words escaped her. If he knew about Torchwood, maybe he knew about the baby?

"How do you know who I am?" Owen asked frowning. Surely Gwen wasn't stupid enough to have told Rhys about Torchwood?

"I've heard the whispered conversations," Rhys continued. "I might be daft but I'm not stupid. The late nights, the sneaking around; I know what's been going on."

"Rhys, I'm sorry," Gwen said elbowing Owen out of the way and walking forward. There was no use denying the affair but she might as well try and explain. "I shouldn't have done it and I know I was wrong, but I have my reasons."

Rhys looked like he was trying hard not to burst into tears in front of Owen. He it his lip for a moment trying to regain some composure.

"If you have any love left for me, you'll leave now," He said quietly, looking at the floor.

Gwen almost started crying herself then. Everything was going wrong. She nodded and headed for the bedroom, packing up her clothes. As she opened the wardrobe her heart sank as she saw the Christmas presents she'd bought for all her friends. The one right at the bottom covered in silver wrapping paper was for Rhys.

Packing the other presents in her shoulder bag, she picked up Rhys' present and took it with her into the living room. Owen and Rhys were avoiding eye contact standing each end of the room. Gwen handed the present to Rhys silently and kissed his cheek before heading to the door, walking straight past Owen and ignoring him.

She opened the door and wandered down the stairs, biting her lip she managed to keep control until she was out on the street before she burst into tears. She could hear Owen running up behind her.

"Gwen, wait," Owen said, stepping into stride beside her.

"Piss off," Gwen snarled, not looking at him.

"Look, I'm sorry, but it had to be done," Owen continued. "He already knew, so I didn't really do anything, except speed up the process."

"You've ruined my life!" Gwen shouted stopping and turning to glare at him.

"We're having a kid!" Owen shouted back. "How is that bad?"

"I am not keeping this child!" Gwen sobbed. "And you're mad if you think that I'm staying anywhere near you!"

She stormed off down the road and Owen had to run to keep up. Gwen wiped her face furiously, letting her feet take her rather than thinking about where she was heading.

"Where are you going?" Owen asked calmly, his hands stuffed in his pockets against the cold December air. Gwen didn't answer, just kept looking ahead arms folded. "Now you haven't got anywhere to stay you can go back to mind you know."

Gwen resisted the urge to turn and punch Owen. He had a nerve suggesting that she wanted anything more to do with him. She couldn't believe that he would even begin to think he had a chance of redeeming himself from this.

She was in front of the fountain where they'd stood talking the night before, before she realised she was heading towards the Hub. Of all the times for Jack to be around Gwen hoped he was now. She needed a friend desperately, someone who wouldn't pass judgement.

Owen followed her the entire way. When they entered the Hub Gwen finally snapped turning to him.

"Will you just piss of?" She shouted. "I don't want to see you ever again!"

Owen looked slightly hurt by this, but didn't waver in his attempt to change her mind.

"Tell me you'll keep the baby and I'll leave you alone," he said.

Gwen just scowled at him and continued through the Hub towards Jack's office. Jack, who had heard the commotion, was stood in the doorway. When he saw the look on Gwen's face he let her pass without comment. Owen tried to follow but Jack stopped him.

"Let her go," he said quietly and Owen, turned back to his own desk, making a frustrated noise as he went.

Jack turned and wandered into his office, spotting Gwen sat in a chair and looking decidedly miserable.

"Now, it's probably none of my business," Jack began sitting opposite her behind his desk. "But do you want to tell me what you're doing bursting into the Hub at seven in the morning on Christmas day, having a blazing argument with Owen?"

Gwen didn't answer for a moment but then she looked up at him and everything came spilling out. She told him all about the affair, the baby, Owen's threats and finally about her split up from Rhys.

Jack, being her boss, had seen the signs and knew that she and Owen were having an affair. What he hadn't expected was the rest. He knew Owen was stupid enough to get into a situation like this, but he'd always though Gwen was too down to earth.

Not wanting to pass judgement when she was in a state like this, Jack just nodded and listened. When she finished he stood up and wandered round the desk, standing next to her.

"Have you got anywhere to stay?" He asked quietly. Gwen thought about Owen's offer and knew straight away that she couldn't live with him after what he'd done.

"No," she replied mournfully.

"Well there's room here if you want to stay until you can get yourself back on your feet," Jack continued, and Gwen smiled gratefully at him. "Just take things easy, ok?"

She nodded standing up beside him and following him towards the room right at the back of the Hub where she assumed Jack lived. There was a bed in one corner, but it looked like it hadn't been used in several days.

"If I feel the need to sleep I'll find somewhere else," Jack said gesturing in the direction of the bed. "You can have that."

Gwen nodded.

"Thanks, Jack," she said. She suddenly remembered the presents in her bag and rummaged around for Jack's. She handed it to him and he smiled. "Merry Christmas."

"Want me to get rid of Owen, while you clear your head?" He asked, looking pleased that Gwen had thought to give him a Christmas present.

Gwen nodded and heard Jack head back out into the Hub. She could hear the murmurs as he spoke to Owen and she knew that Owen was putting up a fight. When Jack returned a few minutes later he had a dark look on his face.

"He won't leave so I put him to work and told him that I'd hang him by his-"

"Thanks, Jack," Gwen said quickly cutting across. She smiled at him genuinely. Jack was just the friend she needed at that moment. "Thanks.


	4. Decisions

Owen spent most of Christmas day attempting to sneak into the back room to talk to Gwen, but each time he was caught and stopped by Jack. He couldn't bear to think that Gwen would still go through with the abortion when she knew how against it he was.

Jack sent him home early and despite many protests Owen eventually went, knowing he could only push things so far. He wandered home slowly, feeling worse and worse with every step. He texted Gwen several times, but then remembered she hadn't taken her mobile from the flat. He texted Jack, but the only reply he got was;

_Leave her be. The more you try to talk to her, the further away you push her._

_Jack_

Owen paced round his flat wondering how he'd ever got into this situation in the first place. It had all started a long time ago.

He and Tosh had been best friends, doing normal best friend things. Then one day they'd seen Jack, Ianto and Suzie stop a ten foot tall monster from destroying the city. They'd had to put a lot of amnesia pills in the water to stop people from remembering that. Course, Tosh, being the genius that she is, knew exactly what was going on and it took all of ten minutes for her and Owen to find Torchwood and prove their worth.

Owen half regretted now that they'd ever gone after Torchwood. He wouldn't be in this mess now, but at the same time he would never met Jack or Ianto or Gwen.

Back at the Hub Jack bought a pizza into Gwen who was lying on the bed contemplating. She looked up when he entered.

"Bought you some food," Jack said handing the pizza over.

"Great, I can get fat early," Gwen joked. "Thanks."

"So what are you going to do?" Jack asked taking a bite from the slice he had in his other hand.

"Kill Owen?" Gwen suggested. Jack laughed. "I don't know. He doesn't want me to kill the baby."

"Yeah, but it's your choice," Jack pointed out. "Do you want to keep the baby?"

Gwen chewed on the pizza deep in thought. With all the complications, Rhys, Owen, she hadn't really considered what she wanted.

"I don't know," she said finally. "I…"

Ianto knocked on the door then.

"Sorry," he said realising he was interrupting. "I've put those files on your desk, sir."

"Thanks, Ianto," Jack said smiling at the welsh man.

"Are you still…" Ianto glanced at Gwen awkwardly.

"Yes, Ianto," Jack said quietly. "I'll be twenty minutes."

Ianto nodded and left Jack to finish his conversation with Gwen. As soon as the door was shut Gwen shot Jack a 'what was all that about' look.

"We're going to the bar to talk work stuff," Jack said dismissively, but Gwen got the distinct feeling that work was the last thing they'd be discussing. "Now, what do you want to do?"

"I can't be a single Mum working for something as dangerous as Torchwood," Gwen replied sadly.

"Suzie had a family," Jack said quickly.

Gwen looked at him darkly.

"So what did you tell them when she killed herself?" Gwen asked.

"I posed as a police man and told them exactly that," Jack said with a 'do not start' tone. "I said she was too disturbing to see. I gave them her ashes."

Gwen nodded.

"Still means I can't be a single Mum," Gwen said quietly.

"Owen's not all bad you know," Jack continued.

"Owen who's just ruined my life, yeah, of course not," Gwen said. "Like I'm ever going to be able to forgive him."

"You don't have to be together," Jack shrugged. "But it means baby Cooper has two parents."

"And IF I was to keep the baby, and IF I let Owen into his or hers life, what would happen if we both died?" Gwen asked.

"Well we're hardly likely to send it to an orphanage are we?" Jack laughed. "I'm sure me, Tosh and Ianto could cope."

Gwen laughed.

"Torchwood can take on aliens, stop world disasters," She took another bite of pizza. "But looking after a kid is something I'd like to see."

"Hey! I could look after a child!" Jack protested.

"Yeah?" Gwen asked disbelievingly. "Somehow I can't see Torchwood going domestic."

"After the stuff we've faced that'd be nothing," Jack said folding his arms.

"Yeah, you and Ianto would make good parents, and Tosh would, but not as Torchwood," Gwen giggled. Jack decided to ignore the first part of the comment.

"So, what are you going to do then?" Jack asked. "Keep it? Or get rid of it?"

Gwen bit her lip thinking.

"I still need more time," she said finally. "And don't tell Owen that I might keep it. I don't want him to keep fussing."

Jack nodded and stood up.

"I better go, will you be alright alone?" He looked at her carefully, concern written over his face. "I'll be back before midnight."

"I'll be fine Cinderella," Gwen grinned, sticking her tongue out. "Go on, otherwise you'll be late for your date."

"It's not a date," Jack said pointing a finger at her, but from the smile on his face they both knew he was lying.

Owen was skulking about outside the Hub. He'd been unable to sit still in his flat so he'd decided to head back to the Torchwood base. Just as he'd arrived however he'd seen Jack and Ianto leave, chatting animatedly.

He knew Tosh had never come in; she'd spent the day at home with her girlfriend, so Owen had the perfect opportunity to talk to Gwen. As Jack and Ianto passed, he quickly darted towards the Hub; hands stuffed in his pockets, a man on a mission.


	5. Distractions

_AN: After watching last nights episode I've decided that didn't happen in this fic. Well except for the tiny bit about Jack and Ianto at the end. :D And also regarding that episode, sorry for the spoiler, but Owen never slept with Suzie._

Gwen was pottering about the Hub leaving presents on various desks. She'd covered Ianto and had come to Tosh and Owen's. She had no problem leaving a present for Tosh, but she wasn't sure about Owen. It might be leaving a mixed message.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning she came face to face with Owen. She rolled her eyes and shrugged him off.

"What do you want?" She asked sighing. She stuffed his present back into her pocket before he could see it.

"You," Owen replied quickly following her. "All I want is you and this baby."

"Owen, when I first started at Torchwood you wouldn't even call me by my name, what makes you think that I'm going to believe you've changed?" Gwen asked. "Especially after what you did this morning."

"Gwen, please," Owen continued. "I never thought I'd want this either, but I do; you have no idea how much I want to be a dad."

"Yeah, right," Gwen scoffed. "You love me enough to wreck things with Rhys."

"How else were we supposed to be together with this kid if you still had an official boyfriend?" Owen asked desperately. "It was the only way. Please, Gwen, let me prove that I've changed from the person you first met."

Gwen didn't answer straight away and Owen could see she was thinking things over. She bit her lip looking him over.

"I still don't know if I'm going to keep it," Gwen sighed, sitting down in Tosh's chair. Owen sat down in his own, resting a hand on Gwen's knee. "I mean it doesn't matter what we want, we've gotta think about hat kind of situation this baby is coming into."

"Situation?" Owen frowned slightly.

"What if something happens to us, Owen?" Gwen said, subconsciously rubbing his hand that was on her knee.

"We could quit Torchwood," Owen shrugged. Gwen smiled slightly.

"Do you really think you can live with everything you've seen and only one person to share it with?" She asked.

"Is that what most couples do?" Owen replied.

"Yeah, but how many couples do you know where their shared memories involve aliens?" Gwen ran her thumb across Owen's knuckles.

"We could make it work," Owen tried again.

"We couldn't, Owen," Gwen shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I've got to have this abortion."

Owen sighed and looked down at his feet sadly. He nodded and Gwen felt her heart ache. She squeezed his hand slightly.

"And…" Gwen paused unsure of whether or not she should deliver another blow to Owen. "I think 'we' should take a break for a bit."

Owen looked up and nodded again, standing up and running his hand through his hair. Gwen followed suite, reaching into her pocket and pulling out Owen's present. She handed it to him.

"Merry Christmas," she said quietly.

The next few days passed quickly and Gwen went back to what was now Rhys' flat to fetch the rest of her stuff. Owen sent messages via computer to Gwen, who was working again along with the rest of the team, and Gwen would reply.

Only Jack noticed the slight tension between the pair and that was only when he wasn't busy with Ianto. Tosh was too busy working on a translation of an alien tablet they'd found so she didn't realise that anything had changed.

A few days into January Gwen was preparing to head to the hospital when Jack popped up a conversation window on her computer. She clicked on it and read.

_Are you still going through with it?_

Gwen sighed slightly and glanced at Owen who was working, his head down, and a pen in his mouth.

_Yes. I can't… It wouldn't be fair on a kid. The lives we lead are almost too much for us, let alone a child._

She waited a few minutes, flicking through the Hub nodes whilst she waited for Jack's reply.

_Want me to come with you?_

Gwen pondered this for a moment. She'd told Owen he couldn't come because she thought he'd try and talk her out of it, but she wouldn't mind having a friend there. Jack had already done enough though; she couldn't ask any more of him.

_I don't mind._

Gwen smiled at Jack's generosity. He was so sweet sometimes. He was defiantly a good match for Ianto.

_Thanks, Jack. That'd be great. Are you sure Ianto won't miss you:P_

Gwen sent another message then, but this time to Owen. She had to let him know that she was defiantly going through with it.

_I'm going in a few minutes. Can we talk when I get back?_

Whilst she wrote this Jack replied.

_Meet you outside?_

_Yeah._

Gwen quickly shut down her computer, not waiting for Owen's reply, knowing it would contain more begging. She saw the mournful look he shot her as she passed.

"Bye, Tosh, Owen," she said as she walked by.

"Bye, Gwen," Tosh replied looking up and smiling.

"Yeah, bye," Owen muttered, chewing on the pen in his mouth.

"You'll have ink stains all over your tongue," Tosh chided him.

"Oh shut up," Owen said, turning back to his work and sighing.

Outside Jack waited for Gwen, his hands in his pockets to keep warm. Gwen appeared round the side of the fountain and linked her arm through his.

"You're too good to me," Gwen said as they walked.

"I'm your friend as well as your boss," Jack chuckled.

"You know, you never said whether Ianto would mind you coming?" Gwen said after a few minutes silence.

"Ianto does have a life of his own," Jack said, not entirely denying that they were spending an awful lot of time together.

"You're good together," Gwen leant against Jack for a moment.

They remained in companionable silence the rest of the journey. The clinic was only a few streets away and Gwen could feel the knot in her stomach tighten. Was she making the right choice? She shook her head. Of course she was.

As they sat in the waiting room Gwen began to doubt even more whether she was doing the right thing. But every time the thought crossed her mind she thought about Torchwood and knew she couldn't bring a child into the world.

Jack kept glancing at Gwen. She looked pale and ill and he hoped she'd be ok. He didn't even notice the figure walk past the window and open the door.

"Gwen?" Gwen and Jack both looked up to see Owen stood in front of them. He looked pale and ill too. "Please don't do this."

Gwen felt like she was going to burst into tears. How had her life got this complicated? Of course, she could make it perfectly easy. She stood up and threw her arms round Owen's neck.

"Ok," she whispered. "I'll keep it."


	6. Accidents

Despite having forgiven Owen (or at least nearly forgiving him) she was still living in the back room of the Hub with Jack. Toshiko and Ianto had been informed of the situation and both had taken it in their stride.

Toshiko sent messages to Gwen via the computer about baby stuff, which made Gwen smile. Toshiko was making a really effort to help and it was greatly appreciated. Ianto didn't really mention it, but then Ianto didn't really talk that much. Except to Jack, who said that Ianto was willing to help Gwen with anything she needed. He still bought her cups of coffee though.

Owen visited Gwen and they spent a long time each night just talking things over, but when he wasn't with Gwen he was sat at his desk, completely silent. Ianto had sent Jack many messages about Owen closing himself off but Jack didn't seem as concerned as Ianto was.

Gwen had been to the hospital for a check up and to find out just how far along she was. It turned out that she was just over two months gone. Gwen worked out the exact date in her head because there was one week when Rhys had been away and Gwen remembered getting extremely drunk.

Work at Torchwood hadn't really been that exciting over the last few weeks. As January progressed into February, the only thing that had been remotely tricky was stopping Toshiko from talking to them non stop about her girlfriend Nia.

February turned into March and March into April. It was beginning to feel like aliens were avoiding an invasion since Gwen had revealed she was pregnant. Or at least that's what it felt like to Owen.

Gwen wasn't complaining. She could do without the stress of saving the world. She'd just about finished the morning sickness stage (though she couldn't always keep a meal down) and having to run about stopping aliens from attacking would've been a bit too much. Not that Jack or Owen would've let her anyway judging by their overprotective natures that were beginning to show. She couldn't even go to the loo sometimes without being asked if she was alright and they practically wet themselves with worry if she so much as rested a hand on her stomach.

Then one day Tosh burst into the Hub looking flustered. The team assumed she'd had a fight with Nia and didn't concern themselves straight away. Until she spoke that is.

"Jack we've got a code nine," Tosh said, dodging round the desks and running into Jack's office. He looked at her worriedly.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Gwen frowned, watching them from her workstation.

"What's code nine?" She said puzzled as Tosh nodded and began to run back out the Hub, Jack calling to Ianto to sort something out.

"Code nine is bad," Owen replied standing up. "Code nine means that the police have got hold of an alien body."

"Right," Gwen said following him as he walked towards Jack's office for orders. "And Torchwoods job is to get it back?"

"Got it one," Owen nodded.

Jack and Ianto appeared in front of the pair.

"Owen, grab your med kit," Jack said darkly. "Gwen, stay here and man the Hub."

"What?" Gwen asked disbelievingly.

"Don't start, Gwen," Jack warned.

"No? Let me come then," Gwen replied, hands on her hips. "Ianto can stay. No offence, Ianto."

Ianto smiled slightly and nodded to show he didn't mind. He knew his place.

"Gwen, you are five months pregnant," Jack said, placing both hands on her shoulders and moving her to one side. "You are not going out there."

"Jack, it's an alien body, how much harm can it do?" Gwen asked still following him. Jack turned round about to say something but Gwen stopped him. "Let me come."

He sighed and rolled his eyes to show his disapproval.

"You're staying in the van," he said as he locked down the Hub. Gwen grinned and she and Ianto left the Hub with Jack heading for the SUV where Owen and Tosh were already waiting.

"You're not letting her come?" Owen frowned as he watched Jack, Ianto and Gwen walk towards them.

"She's as stubborn as she looks," Jack replied. "A lot like you really, Owen."

"I am here you know," Gwen said huffily as she climbed into the back with Owen and Tosh. "And I'm under orders to stay in the van."

"Good," Owen said, pulling Gwen close and wrapping an arm round her as they sped off down the bumpy road.

Tosh was busy tapping at her laptop as they drove along, preparing coordinates. Ianto was also tapping on a keyboard, though he was using it to find out which police people had been called out to deal with something in the last thirty minutes.

"Got a lock on that code nine yet Tosh?" Jack asked from the front.

"Down near the harbour, a street called Colt road," Tosh replied, snapping the laptop shut. Ianto paused half way through his work to set the coordinates into the SUV so Jack just had to follow the directions it told him.

"Officers dealing with the body are P.C. Beau and P.C. Fletcher," Ianto said, setting his own laptop down underneath his seat.

"Right," Jack nodded.

They arrived at the street Tosh had named and piled out the car. Gwen sat in the doorway watching them handle the situation and wishing she could be out there with them. For starters she was curious about the body, which was impossible to see from behind the police tape, and secondly she hated being alone.

She had the peculiar feeling that someone was watching her. It didn't take long for the others to secure the body and she saw them heading back towards the SUV, a body bag being carried between them. They were struggling with kit and Gwen stood up wandering over to help them.

Even weeks after it happened, no one could really think what it was that stopped Gwen from looking before she crossed the road. It might have been that her mind was elsewhere, she might have just wanted to help the team with their stuff. Whatever the reason, Gwen didn't see the car speeding up the road. The team only noticed it as it smashed into Gwen's side sending her flying twenty meters up the street.


	7. Live Together Die Alone

The whole team were frozen in shock, still clutching the body bag between them. It was only when Owen dropped his end of the bag and hurtled up the street towards Gwen that the rest of the team finally managed to move.

"Get this bag into the van," Jack ordered Tosh and Ianto as he followed Owen.

The car had screeched to a halt and a man of about twenty had got out and was looking at Gwen distraughtly, muttering something about 'not seeing her' and that

she 'just stepped out'.

Owen was checking for Gwen's pulse and making sure she was alive. Jack dropped to his knees the other side of Gwen.

"We've got to call an ambulance," Jack said, not daring to touch Gwen in case he hurt her anymore than she already was.

"No, I can take care of her," Owen replied. Jack glanced up frowning.

"Owen, we don't have the medical facilities to deal with something like this," Jack said loudly, wondering if Owen was actually going to listen to reason.

"I know Jack!" Owen shouted looking up. "But I promised to take care of her!"

Tosh and Ianto were running up to them now, Ianto pulling out his mobile as he went. Jack glared at Owen.

"We've got to get her to a hospital Owen," Jack growled. "Or Gwen is going to die."

Owen just looked at Jack mournfully, trying to blink back tears. Tosh sat beside Owen, wrapping an arm round his shoulders and whispering soothing words to him. Jack stood up and wandered over to Ianto who was just finishing the nine nine nine call.

"It'll be here in two minutes thirty four seconds," Ianto said quietly.

It was much later that day; no one knew what time exactly, that they were all stood watching Gwen's chest rise and fall as she continued to breathe, still unconscious. Ianto, Jack and Tosh were watching through the window from outside the room. No one knew quite how it happened but Ianto's fingers had found there way between Jack's and Jack's other arm was wrapped round Tosh's shoulders.

An hour or so earlier Tosh's arm had been wrapped round Owen's waist, but he was now sat beside Gwen, holding her hand gently and staring in despair at the many tubes leading from machines around her.

They were still waiting for the nurse to come and check the baby was alright and the tension was getting too much. Tosh broke away from Jack and opened the door to sit with Owen.

"Are you ok?" She asked as she sat beside her best friend. She glanced at Jack and Ianto who were still holding hands.

"I'm great," Owen said in half hearted sarcasticness.

Tosh took Owen's other hand and squeezed it gently.

"She'll be fine," Tosh said, trying to convince herself as much as Owen.

"You know a lot people who've been run down by cars do you?" He asked, glancing at her. Tosh opened her mouth to reply but a nurse opened the door then and smiled at the pair.

"I've come to check on the baby," she said, setting up the equipment.

Tosh straightened up slightly and Owen looked on anxiously as the nurse tried to locate a heartbeat. Jack and Ianto were watching intently through the glass.

Time seemed to stand still as every one held their breath waiting for that little blip on the machine that meant the nurse had found a heart beat. It seemed like forever had passed when finally there was a quiet bleep and then another and another. Owen sighed with relief and Tosh nodded at Jack and Ianto who smiled slightly.

"Now we've just got to wait for Mummy to wake up," the nurse said, smiling at the pair as she left.

Jack watched the nurse go and then, letting go of Ianto, entered the room, clearing his throat as he did so. Owen and Toshiko looked up.

"Owen, I think you should go home, get some rest," Jack said, Ianto joining him.

"I'm not leaving her," Owen said not looking away from Gwen.

"Owen, you're doing no one any good by making yourself ill," Jack continued.

"If it was Ianto would you leave him?" Owen shot back.

"Owen, that's not fair," Jack replied harshly, knowing that he would've found it hard too. "Now you either go home or you'll be the next one in a hospital bed."

Owen glared at Jack but stood up following the other three as they headed out of the room. He glanced one last time at Gwen, his heart aching.

Back at the Hub Toshiko made her excuse to head home and Ianto went to make some coffee. Jack and Owen stood in the middle of all the desks, staring at each other for a long time before either spoke.

"I think you should go home and rest, Owen," Jack said finally.

"I can't," Owen sighed, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I'll go mad on my own."

"Ah, a people person," Jack nodded. "Ok. Want a coffee?"

"Yes, please," Owen said gratefully.

"C'mon," Jack led Owen into his office and they spent the rest of the evening with Ianto talking about anything that wasn't connected with Gwen, just trying to forget for a few hours, pretend everything was alright and that Gwen was only through the door, beyond the glass, just out of sight and not lying in a hospital bed struggling to hold onto life.


	8. Tenterhooks

Owen and Jack spent much of the night talking. Ianto stayed up a little while longer after they returned to the Hub, but he retired to what was usually Jack's bed (and currently acting as Gwen's) at three in the morning.

Owen was surprisingly open during their conversation, expressing his fears of becoming a father. Jack had suspected that the news had hit Owen just as hard as it had Gwen, but Owen was never one to share his feelings usually.

As morning broke however, Owen started to get itchy feet. Eventually, after making him eat breakfast, Jack let Owen take the SUV back to the hospital. Once he was out of the door, Jack turned towards the backroom, intending to shove Ianto over and get some sleep himself.

Owen was careful not to speed. He didn't want Jack to get narked if he received a speeding fine. So he drove at the speed limit all the way there and then raced into the hospital.

Gwen was in the same state she had been when she first came into the hospital and Owen felt even worse, watching the mother of his child lie there. He reached out for her hand and once more stayed by her bedside for several hours.

After finally tearing themselves out of bed, Jack and Ianto were pottering round the Hub, doing nothing in particular when Tosh came blustering in, looking extremely ruffled.

"You do not want to know how pissed Nia was that I had to come out again," she said as she dumped her bag down beside her workstation.

"You could've stayed at home," Jack said, stuffing his hand in his pockets.

"And miss testing that alien body?" Tosh shook her head. "It'll decompose quickly in our air. Besides, I wanted to find out how Gwen was as well."

"No news yet," Jack shrugged as Ianto came over with a cup of coffee for Tosh.

"Ok," Tosh said, taking the mug gratefully off Ianto and heading down to the lab Owen usually used for post mortems.

"Me and Ianto were planning on nipping out for a bit," Jack called as Tosh went.

"Ok," Tosh said again. Ianto raised an eyebrow at Jack.

"We are?" He asked, this being new news to him.

"Yup," Jack said steering the Welshman towards the Hub door.

Owen's head was resting on his arms as he watched Gwen's chest rise and fall. Several nurses had come in and out to check on her, but the only information they could offer was that Gwen should be fine when she woke up.

_If she wakes up. _Owen thought miserably.

The day progressed further and further and Owen found himself doubting that Gwen would ever come round. The nurses seemed optimistic, but he could see them through the glass window talking and looking anxiously through at Gwen.

His thoughts began to wander to baby Harper. Or Cooper, depending on how you looked at it. He chuckled softly. Only a week or so previously he and Gwen had been arguing over whether the baby was a Harper or a Cooper. They'd spent ages giggling over weird names like Hooper and Carper, before they finally decided to think about name at a later date. They didn't know what sex the baby was yet, so they still had time.

Owen sighed slightly, thinking to himself that he would willingly let Gwen give the baby her second name if he could just have them both safe and in his arms. He shifted slightly, trying to get rid of the pins and needles in his foot when he suddenly felt Gwen move.

Owen froze, holding his breath. Was she waking up?

Jack and Ianto were wandering round the bay, hand in hand, talking. Not about anything in particular, just talking. The thing was they were both the type of person who prefers to distance themselves from others in emotional situations. It explained why they'd both hidden deep dark secrets. But since Christmas, they'd both been happy to confide in the other.

It didn't really start, it just sort of happened. Like an arrangement you didn't speak about. After what had happened with Lisa they hadn't actually got around to discussing what their relationship was. But with Gwen in hospital, they both realised just how easily their lives could be torn apart. Jack leant on the railings overlooking the bay.

"Ianto," Jack began quietly.

"Sir?" Ianto had his hands in his pockets, stood up straight and looked as neat as ever.

"What… what are we doing?" Jack asked carefully, glancing at the Welshman.

"Looking at the bay?" Ianto suggested not quite understanding where the conversation was going.

"I mean with us?" Jack said turning properly to face Ianto. "Are we..?"

Ianto looked at the floor then shuffling his feet.

"Well… I… ummm…" Ianto stammered. "I guess you could say we were… I dunno… in a relationship."

Jack smiled slightly.

"That's what I thought," he said quietly. "Just checking we were on the same level."

Back at the Hub, Tosh was examining the alien and finding more and more exciting things. Firstly, the alien wasn't dead, just in some sort of catatonic state, secondly it was pregnant with what seemed to be a litter and thirdly, judging from the brain wave patterns she was picking up it seemed to react to human thoughts.

As she ran off to her workstation to record the data she didn't notice the humanoid alien start to shift.

In the hospital Owen was on tenterhooks as Gwen shifted again and groaned. He squeezed her hand gently.

"Gwen?" He asked quietly. Gwen opened one eye.

"Hello, Owen," she said smiling slightly.


	9. Connections

Jack, Ianto and Toshiko were once more at the hospital, gathered round Gwen's bed. After assuring Gwen that the baby was alright (and she had taken a lot of convincing) Owen had phoned the rest of the Torchwood team and they had come to the hospital as quickly as they could. As soon as Gwen had woken up the nurses had checked her over to determine the full extent of the damage. Luckily a broken wrist and a cracked rib were as bad as it got.

Gwen found herself feeling the way she had when she'd first joined Torchwood. Like a fifth wheel, like one of the aliens that they examined. That had been the second thing Gwen asked about. Tosh had moved the alien to one of the holding cells and had decided, after informing the rest of the team, that it was better they didn't mention the fact the alien was pregnant. After the accident Gwen's hormones were likely to be all over the place and finding out the alien was pregnant might be a bit too much for her.

"How are you feeling?" Tosh asked smiling slightly. Gwen gave her an odd look.

"Like I've been hit by a car," she replied, making them all laugh.

"How much longer do you have to stay in hospital?" Jack asked, his arms folded, Ianto by his side at the foot of Gwen's bed.

"They said about a week," Gwen said, shifting in the bed and wincing. "Given that I get plenty of rest."

"Like that's gonna happen," Owen mumbled. Gwen whacked him with her left (and uncasted) hand, but it was a pretty feeble whack. "Oh, that hurt so much."

"Oh shut up," Gwen moaned.

Later that day when Jack, Ianto and Toshiko had gone, Owen remained to keep Gwen company. After all being confined to a bed for the next week wasn't going to be much fun.

"Does it scare you?" Gwen asked suddenly after they'd sat in silence for a few moments.

"What, becoming a dad?" Owen raised an eyebrow as Gwen nodded. "Hell yeah. We fight aliens, capture aliens, deal with aliens everyday and that I can handle, but looking after a human being that I- we've made… that's probably the scariest thing ever."

"You think you're scared," Gwen said smiling slightly. "You haven't got to give birth."

"You'll be alright though," Owen squeezed Gwen's hand gently. "You've managed to survive being hit by a car for gods sake."

"S'pose so," Gwen agreed, her casted hand resting on her bump. "I haven't felt her kick you know."

"Him," Owen corrected, then saw the worried look on Gwen's face. "Look they said the baby was fine, I heard the heartbeat myself."

"I know," Gwen said sighing. "But I didn't."

Back at the Hub, Tosh was frowning as she watched the alien over the CCTV. She'd taken down all its feature's and characteristics but it was acting weirdly. The five foot purple humanoid was talking to itself. Or it's bump. Tosh found it fascinating that this alien was so close to being human, even the way it acted was typical of a pregnant mother.

It had been clothes in a weird rag thing when they found it, so Tosh had bought it some new clothes and oddly it had known how to put them all on. She was currently watching it display some very human emotions and almost felt bad, locking it up in the basement.

She sent the CCTV feed to Jack and waited whilst he observed. Tosh thought perhaps the alien ought to be kept well away from Gwen. She didn't know what kind of effect it might have on either of them.

Jack too was slightly concerned by the alien's behaviour. He was sure he'd seen it before, he just couldn't think where. He ran a check through the Torchwood Hub nodes, but nothing came up.

Ianto bought Jack a cup of coffee and looked at the CCTV link too. Jack pulled up a chair beside him, not taking his eyes off the screen and Ianto sat down next to him, just watching, waiting, neither of them knew quite what for.

Owen stayed with Gwen late into the night because she couldn't sleep for worry. She needed desperately to feel the baby kick or move, or anything that signalled it was still alive.

Owen had offered more than once to fetch the nurse so Gwen could hear the heartbeat, but she'd refused. It was deeper than that; she didn't just want to know it was alive, she wanted to feel it. She couldn't make Owen understand because he didn't understand the bond she had with her child. This tiny being growing inside her was the most alien experience she'd ever had.

"I love you," Owen said suddenly. Gwen looked at him slightly taken aback. This was the first time she'd heard Owen say that in a long time.

"I love you too," she replied before gasping.

"What?" Owen asked worriedly.

"She kicked!" Gwen laughed with relief. Owen was too glad that Gwen felt better to bother arguing over their child's gender again.

Back at the Hub, both Jack and Ianto leant forward as the alien suddenly stopped talking, its three-fingered hand flying to its bump.

"What's it doing?" Ianto frowned slightly.

"I think the babies just moved," Jack said, the worry evident in his voice.


	10. Empathy

Ianto always found it slightly unnerving when Jack came out with something that he obviously understood but no one else did. Like when he had first explained about the rift and the perception filter, he spoke like everything made perfect sense, which it did, but only if you thought about it until your head hurt. So when Jack said that the alien had felt its offspring kick, Ianto was just a little worried. Jack stood up then, startling Ianto, and wandered over to his office door.

"Stay here and watch the CCTV," he called over his shoulder. "Do not come down, whatever happens. Understand?"

Jack paused, watching Ianto carefully when he replied.

"Yes, sir," Ianto nodded; despite the fact they both knew it was a lie. Jack couldn't die, true, but no one wants to watch someone be half killed only to be bought back.

Tosh watched Jack pass, heading for the basement, but didn't say anything. She'd seen what the alien had done and knew that Jack was going to find out just how human it was. Rule number three hundred and twenty seven in the Torchwood conduct codes said that if an alien was humanoid and displayed human emotions, they had to treat it as a human. Jack had been very insistent that there were some very human aliens out there.

Jack walked slowly down the corridor between the cells, ignoring the Weevil as it launched itself at the glass and stopped in front of number fourteen where the humanoid alien was sat in the corner cradling its bump. He frowned as the humanoid looked up questioningly at him.

Jack opened the door carefully and stepped inside. He stayed out of arms reach for both their sakes. He didn't want the alien to be frightened. The tanoy crackled and the alien pushed itself further into the corner.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Jack?" Tosh's voice asked the static crackling louder.

"Tosh, get off the intercom now," Jack hissed quietly. He heard the familiar beep as Tosh turned off the intercom.

Jack bent down and looked the alien up and down carefully. The alien looked back through oddly blue eyes. The expression was obvious though, one of fear.

"Can you understand me?" Jack asked clearly. The alien simply looked at him and for a moment he didn't think it was going to answer, but then he felt the familiar tingle of someone trying to invade his thoughts. God he hated telepathy.

_Yes._

Jack sat down feeling that this alien was more scared of them than they had realised and that it was unlikely to hurt them unless they gave it reason too.

"Are you in pain?" Jack asked his hands in his lap to show he had no weapons on him.

_No._

Jack was suddenly reminded of Ianto. The one word answers were typical of the shy Welshman when he was stressed.

"My name's Jack Harkness. This place you're in is Torchwood," Jack said carefully. "I know it must seem like we've locked you up, but you have to understand that we usually deal with alien trying to kill us. Can you tell me something about yourself?"

The alien regarded him for several moments, before shuffling forward slowly and carefully. It, or rather she given that it was pregnant (though Jack had met species where the male got pregnant he could tell this alien was female by the way it acted), sat cross legged and seemed to sigh.

_My name's Flo, or at least that's the only bit you humans could pronounce. I was travelling past the planet when my ship was shot down. _

Jack frowned slightly considering this.

"What planet do you come from?" He asked.

_Yhtapme. _

"Ah, you're an empathy being," Jack nodded. Things made more sense now, and the ever increasing danger became very real. Flo nodded slightly, cradling her bump. "We need to get you somewhere else."

In the hospital, Gwen had fallen asleep, finally able to relax now she knew the baby was alright. Owen was still next to her, his head resting on his arms as he contemplated sleep. He really needed the rest, but somehow he couldn't take his eyes off Gwen.

He reached out and gently rested his hand on Gwen's stomach, wondering if he'd be able to feel their baby kick again. It was always odd to feel your baby kick, but Owen found it even odder when he felt a sharp jolt of pain. He pulled his hand back quickly, examining it. There was a huge burn mark on his palm, which hurt rather a lot.

As wandered out of the room intending to find someone to help him, he started to panic a little bit. In fact he pulled out his mobile and began dialling the Torchwood Hub.

Jack watched startled as Flo suddenly flinched. He reached out a hand but she backed away from him quickly.

_Don't._

Her eyes flashed from brown back to blue and she squealed in pain.

"Are you ok?" Jack asked.

_Yeah…_

She slumped against the wall.

_I think someone just touched my connection._

"You're already connected to someone?" Jack paled slightly, thoughts racing into his head. If Flo was pregnant… then that meant she was connected to Gwen.


	11. Orders

It was Tosh who picked up Owen's incoming call and she had force herself to tear her eyes off the CCTV long enough to pick up.

"Owen?"

"Something really weird's going on Tosh," Owen said worriedly down the phone. Tosh bit her lip to stop herself telling Owen about what they'd found out. Sure he knew about the alien, he didn't know it was an empathy being connected to Gwen, and perhaps for now it should stay that way.

"What's up?" Tosh asked trying to keep her voice level.

"Well…" Owen paused; obviously he was trying to decide how best to explain it and not make himself sound mad. "I was trying to see if I could feel the baby kick… and I burnt my hand."

Evidently Owen had no choice but to sound mad. Toshiko frowned and pondered this development, wondering how exactly to tell Owen what had happened.

"Owen, I think you'd better get back to the Hub," Tosh said finally. "And prepare yourself."

At the hospital Owen frowned as Toshiko cut the connection and then very carefully shut his mobile with his left unbandaged hand and slipped it into his pocket. The nurses had been very kind, they hadn't asked Owen how he'd managed to get third degree burns in a hospital, but he knew they thought he was slightly mad.

His hand was really starting to hurt now. Before it had been a throbbing pain, now it felt like his fingers were being snapped off his wrist. He walked past Gwen's room, checking she was alright and still asleep before heading out of the hospital and back to the Hub.

Jack had left Flo in her cell, having no where else to put her, and returned to the main part of the Hub thinking fast. Anyone who came near Gwen was in danger now. The empathy being wouldn't have control over what it did, its main concern was to keep Gwen safe from everything, and the baby would have its own connection meaning that Gwen herself was likely to take a battering.

Ianto was waiting for Jack at the top of the stairs and fell into step beside him. It was only when he realised Ianto was clutching his hand held organiser that Jack realised he was waiting for orders.

"Oh, yeah," Jack stopped. "Tell Tosh to get hold of Owen-"

"Done," Ianto said.

"Right," Jack shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. "Ok, get Tosh and Owen to secure Flo and keep Gwen well away from her-"

Jack paused biting his lip. He really didn't want to have to give the next order, but he didn't have a choice.

"As soon as Gwen's released from hospital, secure her as well," he said. "Don't let anyone near her except me. Got it? Tosh'll need to work on a way of breaking the connection without harming either Gwen or the baby. Or Flo if it can be helped. It's likely you'll have to secure Owen as well because he's not going to like what I'm going to do and Ianto-"

Ianto looked up from his typing.

"Any chance of some coffee?" Jack asked smiling weakly. Ianto smiled back and nodded wandering off to the kitchen whilst he typed out orders to the rest of the team. They really had their work cut out for them this time.

The moment Owen entered the Hub, Tosh pulled him down to the basement showed him the alien and explained everything in gabbled techno speak.

"Ok, now again, slower and in English," Owen said when Toshiko finally took a breath.

"Sorry," she said, explaining again but in terms Owen could understand, omitting the fact that they were going to keep Gwen locked up the minute she left hospital.

Once Owen was up to date (well, with as much info as he needed) he and Tosh moved Flo to another, more secure, but more comfortable cell. Jack had originally built them for the smarter aliens, saying that the smarter they were the more civilised and dangerous they'd be.

Tosh then went to work on breaking the connection that had been established between Gwen and Flo. She'd done this kind of thing before, but with Gwen being pregnant there might be different side effects she had to take into account. As she wandered back to her station to start work on it Owen wandered into Jack's office intent on finding out just how dangerous the connection was likely to be.

"Jack," Owen said as entered without knocking. Jack looked up. "This connection thing has resulted in me burning my hand-"

He held up his right hand and waved it, then stopped suddenly hissing with pain.

"And it hurts a lot more than it should," he admitted. "So just how bad is it going to affect someone who has bad intention against Gwen?"

"I don't know," Jack shrugged, frowning slightly as he looked at Owen's hand. "That hurts more than it should?"

"Like my wrist is being snapped," Owen said nodding.

"We might have something in the Torchwood stores. I'll have a look later," Jack said quickly, returning to the CCTV he was watching.

"Thanks," Owen said.

The team worked early into the morning, Toshiko flat out until she thought she'd made a breakthrough. But just as she was about to check and double check her theory she suddenly got a pain in her side. Putting it down to sitting in the same position for the last five hours she got up and stretched then went to tell Jack she was going home to rest.

She had to stop though as the pain intensified. Clutching her side, she sat down, breathing carefully. Owen saw her and ran over to help.

"You ok, Tosh?" He asked.

"No," she managed to pant and when she removed her hands from her side to inspect the damage they were covered in blood.


	12. Hospital Role Reversals

Owen managed to get Tosh down to the lab where he usually performed post mortems because all his kit was down there, passing Ianto who was off to check on Flo on the way. It took a lot to persuade Tosh to lie down on the table and let Owen inspect her side. When she finally did it didn't take Owen long to find the problem.

He gently pealed Toshiko's top up, despite many protests to just above the wound and got out some antiseptic.

"I think we're going to have to get you to hospital," Owen said grimly.

"What? Why?" Tosh asked, squirming under Owen's touch. He might be her best friend but he had cold hands.

"Because you've managed to break a rib," Owen said frowning slightly.

"WHAT?" Tosh tried to sit up then but only caused herself more pain. "I've been sat at my desk, how on earth have I managed to break a rib?"

"I don't know, but it's punctured your skin," Owen said applying a temporary dressing. "So unless you want it to get infected we better get you to hospital."

Tosh nodded and Owen helped her up. They made their way slowly back up to the main part of the Hub and bumped into Jack.

"Tosh, are you ok?" Jack asked frowning as he saw the blood on her top.

"She's snapped a rib," Owen said shooting a significant look at Jack. Something told Owen Jack knew exactly what was wrong. "Here, Tosh, can you make it to the SUV? I'll be out in a minute to drive you to the hospital."

Tosh nodded, looking very pale but managed to get out of the Hub ok. Owen turned to Jack, his expression dark.

"Jack, we're not stupid you know," Owen said holding up his bandaged hand. "First my hand, now Tosh's rib. Why are we receiving the same injuries Gwen has?"

Jack pondered for a moment, sighing, and wondering if he should tell Owen his fears. Eventually he made a decision.

"I think everyone who's come into contact with Gwen and Flo are being punished," he said carefully. "Gwen'll probably heal very quickly and you and Tosh were seen as a threat."

"So..?" Owen raised an eyebrow.

"You're getting her injuries," Jack said apologetically. Owen paled then.

"Oh my god," he said.

"What?" Jack asked worriedly.

"Ianto's just gone to check on Flo," Owen stared wide eyed at Jack.

The pair seemed to stand frozen looking at each other for years before they finally spurred into action running for the stairs. They pelted along the corridors towards the stronger cells.

"Ianto!" Jack shouted as they careered round the corner.

They were too late; Ianto was lying unconscious on the floor, the tray of food set on the desk next to Flo. She was staring at Ianto as though he was the alien and she a mere human.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I told him not to touch me."

Jack fell to his knees beside Ianto the minute he got the door open, checking he was all right. Owen suddenly realised something and glanced down at his right hand again.

"This isn't a burn is it?" He asked no one in particular. "If I go back to the hospital they'll tell me I've broken my wrist."

Jack looked up as he scooped Ianto into his arms.

"Probably," he said. "Look, Owen we've got to get Ianto to hospital as well. Lock this cell I'll come with you and Tosh."

Owen watched Jack carry Ianto out of the cell and towards the stairs. Once he'd locked the cell up behind him and glanced one last time at Flo he followed up towards the SUV.

Owen drove as carefully as he could to the hospital, praying that everyone would be all right. After all just because the only thing they'd received so far were Gwen's injuries didn't mean things couldn't get worse, much worse.

Four hours later, things had changed quite a bit. The nurses were baffled by Gwen's quick recovery and just as confused when three more people came in claiming they had the exact injuries Gwen had had a few hours previously.

The role reversal had come as a bit of shock to Gwen as well, who, having worked for Torchwood for almost a year now, was not totally stupid. She knew something was amiss when injuries that should have taken at least three more days to be anywhere near healing, just suddenly disappeared.

She was even more confused when she found that Ianto was now the one in a hospital bed, Tosh had bandages wrapped round her chest to keep her rib in place and Owen's arm was now in a proper cast. They looked a right sorry lot considering the only thing they'd ever done was care for Gwen.

Gwen pulled Jack aside as Tosh and Owen waited by Ianto's bed. He looked at her questioningly wondering if there were any chance he'd be able to talk his way out of this.

"Ok, something's going on, spill," Gwen said, rubbing her now perfectly healed wrist.

"We had an accident down at the Hub," Jack lied smoothly. Gwen looked unconvinced.

"And those three just happened to receive the same injuries that until a few hours ago I had?" Gwen raised an eyebrow looking at him dubiously.

"Ironic isn't it," Jack said glancing at Ianto, his heart aching. Gwen noted the look and decided not to push things.

"That doesn't explain how I healed so quickly," she said quietly, more to herself than anyone else, a hand resting on her stomach as she felt her baby kick.

"Gwen, I can't die, we fight aliens for a living and have a base built on top of a rift with its own perception filter," Jack said looking at her sideways and smiling slightly. "I think if something good happens you should just be thankful, because you can guarantee the luck won't last."

Gwen looked at Jack and saw the dark shadow cross his face. Something was defiantly wrong, and she was the only one who didn't know. Gwen really hated it when the others left her out like this. Especially when it appeared their lives were in danger.


	13. Welsh Curses

It took a lot for Jack to tear himself and the rest of the team away from the hospital back to the Hub. Once there they had the small problem of keeping Gwen away from the basement cells and avoiding her questions about the alien body long enough to figure out a plan of securing her down there. They knew it was only time before Gwen figured out what was going on, but until they had to; they weren't going to give away anything.

This was easier said than done when Owen and Tosh started suffering from morning sickness. In the end the resentment being fired his way made Jack realise that it was up to him to let Gwen know what was happening and to lock her up. God Jack hated his job sometimes.

Jack was biding his time, hoping that the time to section Gwen off would never come. Unfortunately for him Gwen came into his office in search of answers and he found he could put it off no longer.

"Ok, now you can't blame morning sickness on the rift," Gwen said sitting opposite Jack. "I can just bout swallow Tosh's lie that she's pregnant, even though she's currently with a girl, but Owen? No, I'm sorry, not even aliens could make him pregnant."

Jack smiled slightly.

"Ok," he sighed finally. "Prepare yourself."

He spent a long time explaining to Gwen the necessities. He still left out a few things, like what would happen if she touched Flo, and the fact that he was about to lock her up.

"Right, so I'm connected to an alien," Gwen said a look of mingled horror and annoyance on her face. "And you lot are being given my injuries because the alien is healing me?"

Jack nodded.

"That just about sums it up," he said. Gwen laughed almost hysterically.

"This is why I wasn't gonna keep the baby," she muttered. "So what're you gonna do?"

"Tosh is working on breaking the connection, but it could be risky," Jack said. He stood up then. "Which is why I've got to show you something."

Gwen frowned slightly, following Jack out of his office. Owen looked up questioningly, his face pale as they passed.

"I'm just showing Gwen something," Jack said. "You can come too Owen, you might want to see."

Owen was slightly peeved that something had been kept from him. He could understand keeping Gwen in the dark was a necessity, but him? Surely he was better off knowing everything?

Jack took several deep breaths as they headed to the basement praying that things didn't get physical. Knowing Owen they probably would, but he really didn't want to receive any injuries or dish any out.

As they approached the more refined cells Owen began to feel something niggle away at him. Hadn't Jack said it was vital to make sure Gwen and Flo never touched?

"Jack?" Owen said quietly, keeping in step beside his captain. "Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Perfectly," Jack said, making sure that he kept himself between Gwen and Owen.

They reached the end of the corridor and a darkened cell. Jack indicated it to Gwen and she frowned stepping inside.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" She asked. It was only when the door slammed shut behind her that she realised she'd just walked into a trap.

Owen stared at Jack as he locked the cell door.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked gob smacked.

"What's necessary," Jack replied, looking back at Owen. The lights in the cell came on and they could see Gwen, hands pressed against the glass throwing them both very dirty looks.

"You bastard," Owen made to punch Jack, but Jack was more then ready. He ducked and shoved Owen ahrd causing him to topple backwards into an empty cell opposite Gwen's. Jack shut this door and locked it.

"I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "But I can't have you let her out. Just about everyone's lives rest on Gwen staying in there, including hers and the baby's, got it?"

Owen was talking but fortunately for Jack that particular cell was sound proof. He turned to Gwen who was still staring at him darkly.

"I'm sorry, Gwen," he said again. "I only did what was best for everyone."

"Casâ 'ch Jack Harkness" Gwen muttered darkly in welsh. Sometimes Jack wondered if he ought to learn the language since most of Cardiff was bilingual.

Jack sighed, wandering away and not looking back, he knew it would only make it harder to leave them. As he took the stairs too at a time he spotted Tosh with her head resting on her hand, staring at her computer screen.

"I saw what you did," she said sympathetically. "Owen didn't take it well then?"

"You can say that again," Jack agreed sitting next to her. "And Gwen must be angry since she's started cursing me in Welsh."

"Want the translation?" Tosh asked smiling slightly.

"Probably best I don't know," Jack replied, smiling back. "You alright?"

"No," Tosh replied. "You?"

"I've been better," Jack chuckled. "Any luck with the connection?"

"There's no way of being able to separate them whilst she's pregnant and I suspect…" Tosh trailed off avoiding Jack's gaze.

"What?" Jack sat up straighter, suddenly very attentive.

"We might have to use our last resort," Tosh mumbled. "With the baby being connected through the mother it's going to be almost impossible to break the bond."

"We can't…" Jack muttered to himself before biting his tongue. Tosh didn't need to know that he himself was having doubts. "Gwen and baby Cooper are our top priority. Do what you have to."

Tosh nodded looking back at the computer screen and typing out a few more notes.

Jack went down several times that day with food and water and had to try very hard not to be killed each time. Not that it would've actually killed him, but the time it took for him to resurrect himself would've given Gwen or Owen the time to escape and free the other.

He didn't bother trying to talk to Owen since he couldn't be heard over the cursing, but he spoke for long periods of time with Gwen. She didn't say anything to him, just stared darkly, but he knew she was listening. In the end he got fed up with the attitude he was receiving and tried a different tact.

"You know, I would give anything to know that I couldn't touch you because I'd end up injured or worse," Jack said. "But I could open this door now and nothing you could do would kill me. It's destroying me knowing I can never die. You'd think I were lucky, but it's a curse, and for someone who can't die, I can see the bigger picture, so just trust me when I say locking you and Owen up is best for everyone."

Gwen stood up then wandering over to the glass. She looked at Jack darkly for a few moments before opening her mouth to speak.

"'Na s rhywbeth yn chwimio i mewn 'r caddug a 'i s yn d atat," Gwen whispered.

Jack took a step back involuntarily. That did not sound like Gwen's voice. Whatever she'd said it didn't sound good. He stared at her for a long time and Gwen stared straight back. Something weird was happening with that connection and they needed to end this now. He went back upstairs then trying to shake off the feeling that Gwen had cursed him or something.

No one was watching the CCTV as Jack came up to tell Tosh to go home and get some rest. Jack was too worried about everyone, Tosh felt too bad to do anything but work on the connection and Owen, Gwen and Ianto weren't in any state to view the CCTV.

So no one saw Flo was talking to her babies and certainly no one had the sound to the cells turned on. So no one heard her talking either. If they had they might've been a bit worried. Or then again they might've realised the way to resolve everything was very simple.

"Soon my pet we will kill them all," Flo whispered her eyes turning red. "We just need to touch the smart one. But not yet. He might suspect something."

In the hospital, Ianto lay peacefully in his bed, until of course, his breathing stopped and the machines around him started going off. Nurses accompanied by crash teams rushed in. It wouldn't be the only time that night they had to save his life.


	14. Written Notes

Jack was sat in his office watching the CCTV, pondering. He could see Gwen and Owen were trying to communicate, but with Owen's cell being sound proof and him not being very good at lip reading they weren't going far.

After a while Jack felt a bit mean and rummaged round his desk to find some pads and pens. Might as well give them something to communicate with. Better not hand over the radios in case Owen the smartass figured out the code to open his cell.

As he went down his mobile started ringing. Sighing he tucked the pads and pens under one arm whilst he took the call.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Mr. Harkness?" Jack frowned the voice unfamiliar.

"Yes…" he said slowly, stopping in front of Gwen's cell.

"Your friend Ianto Jones has slipped into a critical condition, I was wondering if you had a spare minute, there's a few things I need to go over with you," Jack felt his heart stop. He was sure it must've done, but it was hard to tell when you couldn't die.

"Right," he managed to croak finally. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

He hung up, stuffing the mobile back in his pocket and opening Gwen's cell door. Gwen looked up but made no attempt to escape. After all she could hardly try and get out when she was pregnant. As much as she hated being locked up she didn't want to harm her child.

"I've got to go out for a bit," Jack said quietly, handing Gwen a pad and a pen. "Ianto's really ill. I won't be long. This is so you can talk to Owen."

"Jack," Gwen said suddenly as Jack headed for the door. Jack paused; he could really do without Gwen having a go at him or muttering Welsh curses again. "What I'm going to do about my scan?"

Jack frowned for a moment.

"Oh, I'll deal with it when I come back," he replied, shutting the door behind him. "I've got some equipment down here somewhere."

He very carefully slipped a pad and pen into Owen's cell and then dashed off up the stairs, heading for the SUV.

He tried hard not to speed on his way to the hospital but it was hard when he thought he might not get there in time. Jack pelted it up to the floor where Ianto was staying. He met several doctors waiting for him, ready to explain everything.

From the looks on the Doctor's faces Jack could tell that something was really wrong. Even when he glanced through the glass at Ianto and saw that he was still alive and breathing he didn't feel any better.

Gwen sat cross-legged on the floor of her cell writing something on the pad. She held it up to the glass and waited for Owen to read it.

_Are you ok?_

Owen smiled slightly and nodded, writing something on his own pad.

_Yeah you?_

_Yeah._

Gwen bit her lip thinking hard. She began writing again and smiled slightly as she felt the baby kick.

_Jack means well you know. Don't blame him for this will you?_

Owen read what Gwen had written if Gwen had been able to hear him she had the feeling he would've tutted.

_What else am I gonna do? The nutter locked us up!_

Gwen sighed and wrote a reply.

_You're so stubborn. _

Owen pulled a face making Gwen laughed. She pulled one right back and saw Owen smile. She watched him sigh and scribble something else.

_I love you._

Gwen felt her heart ache. She wished she could hug Owen so badly then.

_I love you too._

The doctors had been cruelly honest with Jack telling him that unless Ianto woke up in the next few days he was unlikely to survive. So know Jack was sat next to Ianto, his fingers wrapped round the Welshman's hand, wondering how on earth he'd managed to drag everyone into this mess.

The problem was Jack liked Ianto as more than a friend and this was going to make it even harder to be impartial. His heart was telling him to go and destroy Flo, reverse everything, but his head knew that that might affect Gwen and the baby and Flo was nice, he didn't want to kill her unnecessarily.

He sighed. To be totally honest it shouldn't be like this. He had specifically hand picked the Torchwood team so they wouldn't get close to each other, and this was why. It made things so much harder when you were emotionally involved. When Torchwood had first started it had been fine. Owen had been badly hurt in previous relationships and didn't look for anything more than a one night stand, Tosh was still hung up on her childhood sweetheart (Owen) and wasn't likely to move on anytime soon. Ianto… well Ianto had kept himself to himself and Jack had assumed that he was using the same defence mechanism as himself. Don't get close and you don't get hurt. But since Gwen had joined (and he'd picked her because she had a boyfriend) things had changed.

She was like the heart of the team now. The thing that connected them all and somehow, right underneath his nose, Jack had found that bridges had been rebuilt, and relationships started. He suddenly realised what it felt like to be…

Jack stopped himself going there. He'd been hurt badly by those past acquaintances and he didn't need to revisit the memories. He had the Torchwood team and that was enough for now.

He squeezed Ianto's hand one last time and decided to call it a night. If he wanted to save Ianto's life he better start working on breaking the connection, and figuring out how exactly he was going to get away with it without angering the other members of the team.


	15. Regret

Jack began looking through Toshiko's notes the minute he got back to the Hub and found that both his and her doubts were confirmed. There was only one way to break such a strong connection and it had to happen before Gwen gave birth.

Taking a deep breath he opened the Torchwood safe and took out an alien looking gun, stuffing it into a concealed holster. _Better get this over and done with while there's no on around. _He thought bitterly to himself.

Heading down the steps toward the cells he walked silently, going the long way round so as not to disturb Gwen and Owen. It was things like this that made him wonder if he was being punished and that's why he couldn't die.

He found Flo's cell and opened the door stepping inside. She looked up at him and smile slightly. Jack almost had to turn around then. She looked so much like Gwen. Forcing himself to stay however he began to speak.

"The connection is going to kill Ianto," Jack said in barely more than a whisper. "And probably Tosh and Owen as well. Did you know that?"

Flo continued to smile and Jack had to try very hard not to take a step back.

"Yes," she said nodding. Jack shifted a litter confused.

"Then why did you connect to Gwen?" He asked, though connections were not always voluntary.

"Because it's my job to destroy Torchwood," Flo's eyes burned bright red. "My job to destroy you Jack Harkness."

Jack was more than a little wrong footed now. At least if Flo was evil it made his job easier. He pulled out the alien gun and fired.

In the other cells Gwen was looking sadly over at Owen when he suddenly convulsed like he'd been punched in the stomach. He writhed on the floor his hands clutched to his hip. Gwen sat up a little straighter and a hand flew to her mouth as he pulled his hands away and found them covered in blood.

He looked over at Gwen and mouthed two words. _Help me. _Gwen nodded standing up and started banging on the cell door.

"Jack!" She shouted. "Jack, Owen's hurt!"

It seemed like forever before Jack finally came towards her. He looked pale and Gwen gasped as she saw he was covered in what looked like blood. He opened her cell door before turning to Owen's.

"I know you're pregnant but you'll have to help get him to hospital," Jack said shooting her a look that said 'I'll explain later'.

Gwen nodded following him in. Jack held Owen's hands out of the way whilst he examined the wound. Luckily there was no bullet to remove so Owen would no doubt heal perfectly.

Lifting him into his arms, Jack headed for the stairs and the SUV. Looked like they'd still be visiting the hospital over the next few days. Gwen held onto Owen whilst Jack drove them. There were a few questions burning in her mind as she held a dressing over Owen's wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"What happened to the whole 'you can't let me out' thing?" She asked quietly.

Jack glanced in the rear view mirror, a dark shadow dancing behind his eyes.

"I sorted it," he said.

While Owen was having a proper dressing fitted over his wound, Jack and Gwen waited in the corridor outside Ianto's room. Jack pulled out his mobile and began to dial Toshiko's number to check she was all right.

"Jack?" Tosh's familiar voice floated down the phone. "Something wrong?"

"I ended it," Jack said quietly, though he knew Gwen could hear him. "I need you to clean the Hub up for me. I've had to take Owen to hospital."

"Ok, give me forty minutes and I'll have it done," she replied.

"Thanks, Tosh," Jack said hanging up.

He turned to Gwen and saw the look on her face. This was going to result in him telling her everything. He just knew it.

"What did you do?" She asked.

"You remember when you got pissed at me because I let Jasmine go?" Jack asked. Gwen nodded. "Well you know I had to do it because I was saving lives right?"

"Yeah, I know," Gwen sighed. "What did you do this time?"

"I did what I had to," Jack said shooing her a meaningful look as he opened the door to Ianto's room to set up vigilance by his bed for a bit.

Gwen wandered in after him and sat the opposite side. They looked at each other for a moment and somehow both knew that despite most of the complications being dealt with they were still in deep water.

Jack had to hope now that Ianto woke up. There was still a chance he might die and Jack wasn't sure if he could lose another love. He shouldn't have even loved Ianto in the first place but he did and that was that.

When Owen joined them he sat next to Gwen, his hand reaching for hers instinctively. Jack looked at the pair of them after a while and found both of them staring right back. Forcing himself to smile he stood up finally.

"Come on then," he said. "No point hanging round here. There could be aliens attacking for all we know."

Gwen and Owen could see quite clearly just how much effort it took for Jack to tear himself away from Ianto and they knew exactly what he was going through.

Jack had never before felt such regret as he did just then. He knew he had to make it up to Gwen and Owen because as much as it hurt to leave Ianto then, at least he had the choice. Despite having to do it, Jack knew that locking Gwen and Owen up must've hurt them a lot.


	16. Arguements and Relief

Jack found that he didn't have a chance to make it up to anyone. Gwen and Owen went home together and Toshiko had left a note saying that she was still exhausted and had gone home after cleaning the Hub up.

So Jack was alone with nothing to do but worry about Ianto. He tried to get some admin done, but it was driving him mad with no sound but his own thoughts. In the end Jack took the SUV back to the hospital.

Owen had taken Gwen back to his flat, where they were now curled up on his sofa watching T.V. They hadn't spoken the entire way home but both knew what the other was thinking. Owen's side was still sore but somehow he'd managed to pull Gwen close enough to wrap his arms round her waist.

Gwen couldn't help smiling to herself. She could feel the baby kicking again and she knew Owen could feel it as well.

"He's going to be a footballer one day," Owen said quietly.

"SHE might well be," Gwen agreed.

"Oh, Gwen, can't we end this argument and just find out what gender the baby is?" Owen moaned.

"Don't you want it to be a surprise?" Gwen asked.

"I'd much rather prove you wrong," Owen said tickling Gwen who squirmed.

"Ah! Owen!" She cried, jumping off him.

"Oh come on!" Owen complained. "You've got a scan next week! Let me come and we can find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl."

"Oh all right, if it'll shut you up," Gwen replied, sitting back down.

Gwen honestly had no idea what gender the baby was but she had a really strong feeling that it was a girl. She wasn't normally one to take joy from someone else's mistakes but she knew that she would have to rub this in if she was right.

They sat in silence for a few moments thinking about the past few months when Gwen finally spoke again.

"I hope we haven't got to fill in the paperwork for what happened over the last few days," she mumbled.

"You're not actually going back to Torchwood?" Owen asked, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Gwen turned to look at Owen.

"Umm, try Jack the nutter being one example of why you wouldn't go," Owen raised an eyebrow.

"Jack only did what he had to," Gwen said folding her arms.

"Gwen, he locked us up," Owen sat up straighter. "Working at Torchwood has started to affect his brain."

"Owen, he had a really hard job you know," Gwen frowned. "He had to lock Flo up, keep me from touching anyone, stop you from freeing me, make sure Tosh was alright and then when he's finally sorted us all out he can maybe start to think about his own feelings and worry about Ianto."

"Well you're not going back there," Owen said firmly. Gwen stared at him.

"What?"

"You heard," Owen looked at her as if daring her to argue.

"Owen, you're not my boss," Gwen replied. "And I'm going back whether you like it or not."

"No, you're not," Owen stood up wandering over to the window.

"Yes, I am," Gwen stood next to him.

"If you go back, we're over," Owen didn't meet her gaze, staring out of the window instead.

"What?" Gwen laughed not believing what she was hearing. "You're as mad as you think Jack is."

"I'm serious Gwen," Owen said glaring at her.

"Then we're over," Gwen shot back, before turning and heading towards the bedroom, where she intended to sleep.

Jack sighed again, for what felt like the millionth time that hour. Ianto was still unconscious and the likelihood that he would wake up was getting slimmer by the minute.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered to the dark room. "I really messed up this time."

He squeezed Ianto's hand gently, and sighed again. Several nurses came and went, checking up on Ianto and each trying to sound positive and failing in Jack's ears. He could feel his heart breaking; he couldn't bear to lose another person he loved this much. Being abandoned was bad enough but being responsible for the death of someone he was this close to would be too much for him.

Jack blinked hard as he felt tears prickling at the back of his eyes. He'd cried once too often for people he cared about and he knew if he started again, he'd never stopped. Somehow it was the cold exterior that had kept him together for all these years.

So he convinced himself that he must've imagined it when he felt Ianto's hand move. Jack looked up holding his breath. But nothing else happened.

"Oh god, why do I kill everything I touch," he asked sadly.

"I don't think I'm dead just yet, sir," Ianto mumbled in reply, causing Jack to almost fall out of his seat.

"Ianto?" He said in barely more than a whisper.

Ianto opened one eye looking at Jack and smiling slightly.

"Yeah," he groaned. "And my head's killing me."


	17. Sedatives

Ianto was under strict orders to stay in bed, despite many attempts to leave the hospital. He was being kept in under observation for a few days to make sure the coma hadn't had any lasting affects on him. Ianto, who hated hospitals, was starting to worry about the Hub. He was the only one who ever cleaned up and though he knew that he meant much more to the group than a mere cleaner, he really hated it when the Hub got messy. Jack was sure that it was some form of OCD, but since it was probably caused by his troubled past coupled with working for Torchwood, he didn't mention this to Ianto.

Instead he promise that everything was fine and that Ianto could get out his cleaning supplies the minute he went back. Jack had even gone as far to say he would buy new cleaning stuff if it kept Ianto in bed until the doctors said he would leave. Ianto finally gave up and allowed himself some rest.

"Are the others ok?" He asked Jack as the nurse came to check everything was ok.

"Yeah, I think so," Jack nodded. "I think Owen hates me and Tosh is still feeling the effects of morning sickness, but Gwen and the baby are unharmed."

"Well, that was your main priority," Ianto agreed.

"Yeah, but I should've thought about you lot as well," Jack said, his fingers wrapping round Ianto's hand again. "It's all well and good for me, I can't die-"

He suddenly remembered that he hadn't actually mentioned his immortality to anyone at Torchwood and only Gwen knew, but when he looked up Ianto didn't look surprised.

"I know," Ianto said.

"But you lot…" Jack paused. "You're all stupid, emotional, but totally fantastic humans."

"I think that was a compliment," Ianto smiled slightly. "And just because you can't die doesn't mean you're not human."

"No?" Jack looked up sadly. "I have to watch everyone I love age and die. Do you realise that my heart has probably broken a hundred times since I was old enough to know what true love is? But somehow now… it gets harder and harder to feel. The only time I ever feel truly alive is when I'm on the brink of death."

Ianto felt a pang of grief in his chest then, which only doubled the pain he was already feeling. He shifted uncomfortably as his limbs started to ache again.

"If you think about it, you're probably more human than us," Ianto said quietly. "You've done it all, got the t-shirt in everything. But the rest of us, we only get a short time to experience it all, and when we go… well there's no turning back."

"I wouldn't condemn anyone to live forever," Jack replied darkly.

"No, neither would I," Ianto nodded. "But maybe it's not forever. Maybe you were bought back for a reason. Maybe you can't die until you fulfil the time line events."

Jack stared at Ianto for a moment. For someone who had never met the aliens Jack had, Ianto sounded startling close to the truth.

"Whatever the reason, let's not think about it now," Jack said squeezing Ianto's hand gently.

The next morning Gwen awoke early and got dressed as quietly as she could. Owen had slept on the sofa and she knew that he was still intent on keeping her away from Torchwood.

She carefully padded out of the bedroom and across the lounge to the front door. Owen was still fast asleep luckily and as she left Gwen couldn't help but smile. He was so cute when he was sleeping, even if he was the one person she didn't want to be around just then.

She managed to get all the way to the Hub before her mobile started ringing. She glanced at the caller I.D. knowing it would be Owen. Sighing she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Gwen, where the hell are you?" Owen asked angrily from the other end.

"Where do you think?" Gwen replied just as annoyed before hanging up.

She began to potter about the Hub. Whilst there was no one else here she might as well get some of the admin work that had started piling up out of the way. Gwen had only been working ten minutes when Owen burst into the Hub, glaring at her.

"Get home, now," he said. Gwen looked at him as if he were mad.

"Get stuffed," she shot back.

"Gwen, I will take you home by force if necessary," Owen walked right up to her, bending over her.

"Owen, fuck off," Gwen pushed him out the way and continued with her work.

Owen bit his lip hard and had to really try to not just kick off again. Taking a few deep breaths he calmed himself down enough to speak calmly.

"Ok, you win," he said carefully. "Do you want a drink?"

"Not really," Gwen said without looking at him.

Owen ignored her and made her a cup of tea anyway. She very reluctantly decided she might as well drink it. No point letting a good tea go to waste? Owen watched her from his desk. It was only a matter of biding his time.

Gwen got through quite a bit of her admin pile before she started to feel really tired. Rubbing her eyes she forced herself to keep working, but she could feel herself slipping into slumber. The last thing she saw was Owen heading towards her.

"I'm sorry, Gwen," he said gently lifting her into his arms.

When Jack returned to the Hub later that day, he wasn't surprised to find it still deserted. No doubt Tosh still felt ill and Gwen and Owen were probably still at Owen's flat being all cosy.

This was all when and good, but if no one had returned to the Hub, and he certainly hadn't used any, why were there some sedative pills missing?


	18. Captives

Gwen groaned as she woke up, attempting to rub her head. She opened her eyes worriedly when she realised her hands were bound. She glanced round. She was in Owen's flat bedroom, so why was she tied up?

"Owen?" Gwen stood up carefully, testing the rope tied round her wrists. She wandered over to the door and found it locked. She banged on the door. "Owen!"

No answer. Now she knew something was definitely wrong. She rubbed her head again trying to remember what had happened for her to end up here. It all came flooding back, the argument, the tea, the tired feeling. Owen must've have drugged her.

"Owen!" Gwen called again. "What the hell are you doing?"

The door clicked and opened and Owen stood in the doorway looking like a possessed man. He looked at her like he'd never seen her before.

"I'm doing what's best for you," Owen hissed.

Gwen backed away struggling with her bonds again.

"You drugged me!" She cried helplessly. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm doing what's best for you," Owen repeated, exiting the room again.

"Owen!" Gwen sat on the bed and pondered the situation.

Her mobile wasn't in her pocket, Owen must've taken it, and no one would no she was here. Well Jack and the others might notice when she didn't turn up, but if Owen told them she'd decided to take maternity leave, they wouldn't think it suspicious. What was she going to do?

A few days later Jack bought Ianto back from the hospital to the Hub. The Welshman was almost completely better now, though he still had a few bruises here and there. To put both their minds at rest Ianto had agreed to stay in the back room at the Hub for a while, since Gwen had moved in with Owen.

Ianto started cleaning the minute he got inside the Hub. Jack tried and failed miserably to get Ianto to rest. So instead, Jack helped him. Tosh came in later in the afternoon and seemed a little worried.

"Have either of you heard from Owen?" She asked, setting her bag down beside her desk as she sat down.

"No, why?" Jack asked, taking a black bag towards the kitchen.

"Because he isn't answering his mobile," Tosh replied frowning slightly as she began to look through her computer files. "Hey, what've you done with the CCTV footage for last week?"

Jack came back from the kitchen looking clueless.

"I dunno, I haven't touched the CCTV," he said walking over to Tosh's desk and leaning over her.

"Well there's a file missing, here and here," Tosh pointed at the screen, before glancing at Jack.

Jack paused in thought before glancing at Ianto. Ianto looked straight back at him rolling his eyes.

"It wasn't me," he sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to accuse you," Jack said looking back towards the spaces where the missing CCTV footage should've been.

"I can try and retrieve it, or see if I can figure out what we missed from the other clips?" Tosh suggested.

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "And I'll try and get hold of Owen."

"Have you heard from Gwen?" Tosh suddenly said as Jack made to walk over to his office. "Because I can't seem to get hold of her either."

"Right," Jack ran a hand through his hair. "I'll see what I can do."

Ianto finished packing away the rubbish in the kitchen and went to join Jack in his office.

"Do you want me to go round?" Ianto asked as Jack began to dial.

"No, not alone," Jack said before he could stop himself. "Give me a minute."

Ianto nodded leaving Jack to listen to the phone ringing and ringing.

Owen knew he couldn't ignore the phone forever. People would start to wonder what was going on. So, very carefully, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?" He said.

"Owen, its Jack," Jack's familiar voice floated down the wire. "Why haven't you been answering your mobile?"

"Sorry, Jack," Owen replied, sitting down. "I've been really busy; me and Gwen have been sorting out some baby stuff."

"Oh right, ok," Jack sounded like he didn't entirely trust Owen.

"Sorry," Owen said again. "I'll drop by the Hub when I get a chance promise."

"Ok, send Gwen our love," Jack sighed.

"Will do," Owen hung up, smiling slightly to himself.

He stood up and wandered over to the bedroom, opening the door and spotting Gwen lying asleep on the bed. He'd bought some food into her earlier, but she hadn't touched it. Obviously she was still worried in case Owen drugged her again.

He sat next to her, stroking her hair gently. She didn't stir, her bound hands rubbed raw from where she'd tried to wriggle free.

"Don't worry, Gwen," Owen whispered. "We'll always be together. Always."


	19. Escapees

Gwen woke up in the middle of the night and instantly remembered what was wrong when the feeling of dread returned to her stomach. She got up and wandered over to the bedroom window, pressing her bound hands against it. She could see the bay from here. She hoped that the Torchwood team were down in the Hub, underneath the waterfall, wondering where she was. Maybe then someone would be able to release her from Owen's smothering grip.

He hadn't hurt her at least. Both she and the baby were fine, but for how long? She sighed and sat down on the bed again, pressing her hands to her stomach and feeling the baby move. As soon as she got out of here Gwen was going to move away, far away and the baby would just have to grow up without a father. It certainly couldn't have Owen the psycho in its life.

Back at the Hub Tosh stared wide eyed as she retrieved the missing clips by using the other cameras stationed around the Hub.

"Jack!" Tosh called. Jack came out of his office heading over to Toshiko, messing with his mobile in his pocket as he went.

"What?" Jack leant over Tosh looking at the CCTV footage.

"Something happened to Owen," Tosh said carefully pointing at the screen.

They watched as something purple and blobby slithered into Owen's cell somehow and towards Owen himself. Jack watched in horror as the purple blob threw itself at an injured Owen and seemed to absorb into his skin.

"Oh god," Jack said. "That's my fault."

"What?" Tosh frowned. "How did you figure that one out?"

"It must've happened just after I killed Flo," Jack continued. "When Owen was locked in the cell."

"But…" Tosh paused in thought wondering what on Earth a purple blob could do.

"I suspect the purple blob has possessed Owen and is using him to keep Gwen captive as bait for you Jack," Ianto said standing behind the pair. "So that you end up going to rescue her and Flo can use Owen's hand to kill you."

Ianto shot Jack a meaningful look. Jack nodded and turned back to the CCTV, watching one more time just to be sure. Jack had decided to tell Ianto all about Flo and what he'd had to do; since Ianto knew a lot already Jack didn't see the harm in telling Ianto the rest.

"Right," Jack said. "Better give Flo what she wants."

"Jack," Ianto and Tosh said in unison as their captain walked towards the main entrance to the Hub. He turned back to look at them.

"I'll be fine, ok?" He said.

"Then let us come!" Ianto said quickly.

Jack stood looking at his team mates for a moment wondering if he should let them come. But then he decided it would be far too risky, too many lives had been put on the line this week.

"No," Jack said firmly.

As soon as Jack was out of the Hub door Tosh turned to Ianto.

"We're not going to listen to him are we?" She asked smiling slightly.

"Course not!" Ianto smiled back heading for the door as well.

Owen paced about the flat wondering how long it was going to take that stupid Jack Harkness to find that there was missing footage, to find the other convenient footage and to come to the flat.

Jack was smart; he'd figured out that Flo was evil so it should be mere minutes before Owen could get his hands round his captain's throat. Almost as if on cue there was a knock at the door.

"Owen? Owen open the door!" Jack said banging on the flat door. "Come on, Owen I know you're in there!"

Owen smiled to himself and walked slowly over to the door, opening it carefully. Of course what he wasn't expecting was for Jack to punch him the minute the door opened. Owen was sent reeling, falling to his knees.

"You idiot!" Owen spat, standing back up and punching Jack squarely in the jaw.

"Me?" Jack asked, steadying himself. "You're the one that's being possessed! Why didn't you leave Gwen out of this! If you wanted me you should've just come for me!"

The two men circled each other staying just out of arms reach of the other. Jack carefully glanced round, guessing that Gwen was locked in the bedroom.

"Gwen?" Jack called.

"Jack?" Came the muffled reply.

"Yeah, just hold on!" Jack said still circling with Owen.

Ianto and Tosh got out of Ianto's car and headed up the stairs towards Owen's flat. They barged through the open door and saw Jack and Owen squaring each other up. Ianto had to dodge a blow off Owen and skirted round the room.

"Gwen's in the bedroom! Jack called, punching Owen again. "Let her out!"

Tosh followed Ianto and opened the bedroom door. Gwen practically fell into their arms. Evidently she had been listening at the door.

"Oh thank god you've found me," Gwen said clutching Tosh tightly.

"Jack!" Ianto called as Owen almost caught Jack with his fist.

Jack dodged it just in time, but Ianto wasn't so lucky. Owen went continued running and barged straight into the Welshman. Ianto doubled over and rather than turning to attack Jack again, Owen carried on raining kicks down on Ianto.

Tosh helped Gwen get out of the flat and down to the parked SUV before untying her bonds. Jack managed to pull Owen off Ianto and shove him to the floor, sitting on top of him.

Tosh came back to help Ianto limp down the stairs. She glanced at Jack for a moment but Jack simply shook his head. Tosh and Ianto continued down the stairs leaving Jack to deal with Owen.

"Right, I know you're using Owen to kill me," Jack hissed in Owen's ear as he squirmed underneath the captain. "And I'm telling you now I can't die. So leave this planet now."

Owen wriggled some more.

"Why should I trust you on that?" Owen hissed.

"Because I'm not human," Jack replied.

Owen stopped for a moment.

"Don't think this is the end, Jack Harkness," Owen stopped moving and groaned. "My head."

Jack slowly got off his team member and pulled Owen up right.

"Are you ok?" Jack asked.

"I think so," Owen shook his head as though trying to dislodge water. "What happened?"


	20. Trust Issues

Toshiko drove the SUV, rather than Ianto's car which was quite small, back to the Hub with Gwen and Ianto inside. Gwen hid herself in the back room for fear that Owen would follow them. Meanwhile Tosh checked Ianto over. Fortunately he only had a few fresh bruises, nothing worse.

"Those kicks looked painful," Tosh said as Ianto sat down wincing. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Ianto nodded. "I just hope Jack's ok."

"I'm sure he will be," Tosh replied, rubbing Ianto's arm.

At Owen's flat Jack had helped Owen up and sat him on the sofa. He didn't seem to remember anything and he wasn't going to be happy when Jack explained everything. Jack handed a glass of water to Owen.

"Do you really not remember anything?" Jack asked carefully.

"Not really," Owen said frowning in thought. "I remember Gwen… and the accident… and you locking us up… but then it all gets hazy…"

"I better explain then," Jack took a deep breath and began to tell Owen everything.

Jack watched as Owen took in all that he'd said. It didn't look like he was taking it well.

"I drugged Gwen?" He asked looking horrified. "And beat Ianto up?"

"Yeah, but you didn't mean to," Jack tried to sound comforting. "They won't hold a grudge. I hope…"

He said the last bit rather quietly and to himself, he didn't need to worry Owen. Owen just looked at Jack as though he were mad.

"They won't hold a grudge?" Owen shook his head. "Jack, I'll be lucky if anyone talks to me again…"

"Don't be silly," Jack said standing up. "Come on, we better get back to the Hub. I want to check you over, make sure that possession didn't have any lasting effects on you."

"What am I going to do Jack?" Owen moaned as Jack shoved him gently out of the flat and down the stairs. "Gwen'll never let me see our child…"

"Don't worry about it," Jack said seeing that the others had taken the SUV and pushing Owen towards Ianto's car.

They drove in silence back to the Hub and the from the moment they got inside Owen knew he was really in for a rough ride. Tosh looked at him oddly and the smile she hot him was rather forced.

Ianto couldn't quite meet Owen's eye and he wasn't sure if that was because he was scared Owen was going to attack him again or because Ianto knew how mad Gwen was.

Owen sighed and wandered towards the locked door of the back room. He tapped on it gently with one finger.

"Gwen?" He asked quietly.

"Go away!" Gwen sobbed back.

"Owen, leave her for a bit," Jack said. "She was a bit freaked out by the whole thing."

"I'm sorry, Gwen, honestly," Owen sighed walking with Jack back to his office.

"I haven't explained about the whole possession thing yet, but even when I do, don't push things, ok?" Jack put a hand on Owen's shoulder.

"Ok," Owen agreed sitting down in the chair across from Jack's desk.

"It'll be alright," Jack said pouring Owen another glass of water. "I'm just going to get some scanning equipment. Wait here."

Jack walked slowly into the centre of the Hub heading towards Tosh and Ianto. He smiled slightly and paused as he reached them.

"You ok?" He asked the pair.

"Yeah," Tosh said. Ianto nodded.

"Is Owen alright now?" Ianto asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "I need the scanning equipment though Tosh."

Tosh went off to fetch the alien scanning equipment and Jack went to make sure Owen was alright.

Gwen had been watching from the backroom. Opening it a crack she could see Owen sat in Jack's office. The part of her that still loved him wondered if he was ok, but the part of her that no longer trusted him wanted him to go home so she could come out.

Closing the door again she went and sat on Jack's bed, rubbing the deep welts on her wrists. All this stress could not be good for the baby. Luckily she had a scan booked at the hospital the next day so she could ask the nurse how the baby was doing.

The door opened then and she looked up startled. It was only Jack though and he quickly shut the door behind him and came to sit with her. Owen had been fine and he'd already packed away the scanning equipment.

He explained about the whole possession thing to Gwen and she seemed to believe and understand him.

"But," Jack said as he finished off the story. "If you want to stay here again for a few days you can. Although I really think, for the baby's sake, you should try and make it up with Owen."

"Ok," Gwen nodded. "Well… I do want to stay here… but I promise I'll try…"

Jack gave her a quick hug and Gwen felt worse. Inside she knew that her promise wouldn't come to anything. How could she trust Owen again after this?


	21. Girl Or Boy?

Gwen woke early the next morning and felt almost as bad as she had done the day before. Getting up she stretched and wandered over to the door to the Hub, hoping that if anyone was still around it was only Jack.

The Hub looked deserted as she walked towards the kitchen to make herself a drink. She got the shock of her life when she ran into Ianto coming out of said kitchen.

"Sorry," she said quietly.

"Coffee?" Ianto asked holding out a mug to her. "Jack wanted some and I was just about to come and see if you were awake."

"Yeah, thanks," Gwen took the mug and smiled slightly. "Are you ok now?"

"Yeah," Ianto said trying not to wince too much as he wandered towards Jack's office.

"Sorry, I must be cramping your style a bit," Gwen said apologetically. "I don't suppose you're used to having anyone but Jack in the Hub at this time."

"Gwen, its fine," Ianto assured her as he knocked on Jack's door.

"Come in," Jack's voice floated through.

"See you later," Gwen said as Ianto disappeared into Jack's office.

Gwen wandered over to her desk and frowned as she found the admin work had gone and in its place was a note. She didn't need to read it to know it was from Owen.

_Gwen_

_I'm really sorry; I swear I had no idea what I was doing. Please fin it in your heart to forgive me. I don't know what I'm going to do if you won't. I know you're going for a scan later and you probably don't want me with you, but please let me know if the baby's ok? _

_Love you loads,_

_Owen xxx_

Gwen sighed sadly. Owen sounded like he was being honest, but even if it wasn't his fault, how could she bring up a baby with the chance that it's father might try and hurt it?

She sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. Might as well distract herself until her hospital appointment. The minute she was logged on she got a message from Jack.

_Want me to come with you to the hospital?_

Gwen smiled slightly. Jack was being so kind to her, she needed someway to repay him one day.

_Yes please. Thanks, Jack._

She spent the few hours until her appointment sorting out the files on her computer. She knew that she must be stressing when she realised that it had only taken her the morning to rearrange them into alphabetical order.

Toshiko and Owen didn't make an appearance and Gwen had the feeling Jack had told them to take the day off.

Finally Gwen wandered over to Jack's office and knocked. Opening it she smiled as she saw Jack looking back at her.

"I'm going…" she said quietly. "Are you still going to come?"

"Of course I am!" Jack said, taking her hand and squeezing it gently as they walked out the Hub towards the SUV.

Gwen felt slightly bad that Owen wasn't coming with her. They'd been planning to find out the gender of their child. Now she'd have to do it with a completely different man.

Jack pulled into the hospital car park and got out, Gwen following suite. He took her hand again as they crossed the car park. They had to wait what felt like years before the nurse finally called her name.

Gwen felt the knot in her stomach tighten as the nurse began the scan. She glanced over at the screen waiting for the familiar sound of a heartbeat. When it came she couldn't help but grin at Jack.

"Could you tell me what gender the baby is?" Gwen asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure," the nurse said. "Hang on a tic."

She frowned at the screen and Gwen wondered if she was finding it difficult to tell. Maybe the baby was in the wrong position to see what sex it was.

"I just need to fetch the doctor," the nurse said quietly, slipping out the room.

"Oh god," Gwen ran a hand through her hair. "They only get the doctor if something's really wrong."

"It's probably nothing," Jack said taking her hand again.

"Maybe," Gwen sighed sounding unconvinced.

The nurse returned a few minutes later with one of the doctors and they began talking to each other in low voices, staring at the screen.

"Is something wrong?" Gwen asked her voice slightly higher than normal. The doctor looked at her smiled and shook his head.

"No, just a dark patch," he said. "But it's nothing. You have a perfectly healthy baby girl Ms. Cooper."

Gwen grinned.

"Girl?" She asked just to be sure.

"Yup," the nurse nodded. "I'll just wipe this stuff off and you can go."

Gwen felt a lot better on the way home. Her scan showed the baby was fine, so Owen hadn't done her any harm. Maybe she should think about forgiving him. He'd want to know that his child was a girl at least.

Owen was waiting for her back at the Hub and smiled slightly as she walked in with Jack. He sidled up to her slowly.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hi," she replied.

"Baby ok?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets nervously.

"Yeah," Gwen couldn't stop herself from grinning. "It's a girl."


	22. Rift Children

_AN: I would've posted it yesterday but I didn't have time. Still better a day late than never eh? Merry Christmas to all my wonderful reviewers! And Scout Girl? Consider this your Christmas Present :D_

As Owen returned to his flat that night, walking with his head down against the bitter cold air he couldn't help but feel ecstatic. He didn't really care what gender the baby was, as long as she was ok he was happy. But it wasn't just that that was making him so happy, it was the conversation he'd had with Gwen after wards.

_He had been planning on leaving her alone and just finishing off some work or something, but Gwen had dragged him to the back room the moment she'd told him their child was a girl. He'd assumed she wanted to talk about fetching her things from Owen's flat or something, but what she'd said next had made his day._

_"Owen, listen, I know you didn't have a clue what you were doing… and they weren't after us, they were after Jack…" Gwen ran a hand through her hair. The words had made a lot more sense in her head than they did now. "So I was… I was wondering if I could come back to the flat?"_

_Owen stared. _

_"Course you can, you don't have to ask!" Owen said grinning. _

_"Thanks," Gwen smiled back and then remembered something. "Oh, hey, I've got something for you."_

_She pulled a small card out of her pocket and handed it to Owen. He opened it and found a scan picture of a small baby. The label above it read 'Baby Cooper'. Owen stared at it, a lump rising in his throat. He quickly swallowed trying to get rid of it._

_"Thank you," he managed to say, blinking hard. No way was he going to cry. _

Owen smiled as he thought about that conversation. He quickened his pace as he walked the streets of Cardiff. He reached his flat less than ten minutes later and opened the door to find Gwen sat watching T.V. She looked up and smiled as he shut the door again behind himself.

Gwen had come home almost immediately but Owen had stayed to have a chat with Jack about maternity leave and how they were going to persuade Gwen to actually stop coming to work. They'd both decided it was better off not coming from Owen considering the circumstances.

"Alright?" Owen asked hanging up his coat and wandering over to Gwen.

"Yup," she replied. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, I just wanted to check some things over with Jack," Owen shrugged. "You know… check I didn't miss anything in those few days I can't remember."

Gwen nodded. She leant against Owen and he wrapped an arm round her.

"Love you," she said quietly.

"Love you too," Owen replied just as softly.

Back at the Hub Jack was examining Gwen's scan picture. She had very kindly given him a copy and he suddenly realised just how interesting it was. He wasn't looking at the baby however; he was examining the dark patch the doctor had mentioned.

It seemed scarily familiar, like he should've known what it was but he just couldn't remember. It was like searching for something that had been moved from where he'd last left it.

He stood up and looked out his office door. Ianto was pottering about in the kitchen, probably cleaning, again, and Tosh was sorting out some Hub Nodes that had been infected with a virus. How exactly the virus had got into the Torchwood system was unknown, but Jack had the horrible feeling it had something to do with Myfanwy. He'd found the Pterodactyl trying to eat a keyboard the other day. Someone (probably Owen. Well he was easiest to blame) had spilt the special sauce over it that was used to tell Myfanwy what she could and couldn't eat.

Tosh was working herself into an early grave. The amount of work she'd done over the past few weeks coupled with her broken rib and morning sickness was really starting to get to her.

Jack had tried to tell her to go home and rest and she would do. But the next day she'd return to work looking no better than she had done the day before. He really ought to tell her again to leave, but he needed her help with something.

"Here, Tosh," Jack wandered over to her. "Could you do me a favour?"

"Not now, Jack," Toshiko replied, pushing her glasses further up her nose. "I've got to stop this virus before it eats its way through our entire system."

"Ianto can sort that out. Ianto!" He shouted the last bit towards the kitchen and Ianto stuck his head out. "Sort out the Hub Nodes for me?"

"Ok," Ianto nodded heading up the stairs towards his own computer, tucked away from the main part of the Hub.

"Now, can you take a look at this for me?" Jack handed over the photo and Tosh glanced it before putting it down and returning to her work.

"Why do you want me to look at a scan of a twenty eight week old baby girl?" If Jack hadn't known Tosh very well he would've thought she knew this information because Gwen had told her. But Tosh was smart and Jack knew that she'd been able to reel off that info simply by looking at the photo. Sometimes Tosh scared Jack just a little bit.

"Yeah, because there's a dark patch here that doesn't seem to worry the doctors, but it worries me," Jack said, reaching out and removing the keyboard from Toshiko's grip.

"Dark patch?" Tosh frowned, trying to get back her key board. "Jack it could be anything, I'm not an expert."

"Well, yeah, you are," Jack nodded. "Come on my little computer genius, you can find out what it is for me can't you? Please?"

Tosh looked like she was weakening. Calling her a computer genius was an easy way of getting her to do anything. Unless your name was Owen in which case it just resulted in a whack over the head.

"Alright, I'll take a look," Tosh said reaching out for the photo again and studying it in a bit more detail. "Give me half an hour. And I want a cup of coffee!"

Jack grinned.

"Thanks Tosh!" He said going to check on Ianto.

Gwen and Owen spent their evening the same way they had done a few nights previously. Fortunately this one didn't end in an argument and they both slept in the bed. Or at least tried to sleep. Neither could actually manage it, the thoughts and fears still whizzing round their heads like hurricanes.

In the end they both gave up trying and talked instead. Not about anything in particular, just about all the things they'd been through, baby stuff, anything they could think of.

Back at the Hub, Tosh wandered towards Jack's office, file in one hand, and almost finished cup of coffee in the other. She drained the last of her drink and pushed Jack's office door open.

"Here you go," she said handing the file over. "I matched the symptoms to that woman in Cherry Road last year."

Jack frowned reading the file name. Then he suddenly remembered.

"Rift Children!" He grinned jumping up. "Toshiko Sato, you are a genius!"

Then Jack stopped suddenly.

"But this is a bad thing that needs though," he sighed, deflating. "Go home and get some rest, Tosh."

Tosh nodded gratefully, leaving the mug in the kitchen on the way out. Looked like Jack still had work to do.


	23. Domesticity And Memories

Jack spent all night re-reading the familiar file. He'd already been through it the previous year but he had to refresh his mind. It didn't look too complicated and they'd resolved the previous problem simply by explaining a few things to the child's mother. She'd been willing to understand; who wouldn't when your own child is at risk?

Jack suspected Gwen might be a little madder. After all, she could technically blame Torchwood for this and if she did that it was going to take a lot of making up before she forgave them.

Sighing Jack closed the file and went to find Ianto. Might as well get a cup of coffee or… or something else before he went to confront Owen and Gwen.

Owen got up early, carefully leaving Gwen sleeping and went to make breakfast for her. He knew Gwen had been having cravings for chocolate and banana so he made her toast with just that on. When he took it into her on a tray she was just waking up and grinned at him.

"Thanks," she said as he handed her the tray.

"Are you going back to Torchwood today?" Owen asked as she took a bite of the toast.

"I was planning on it," Gwen replied after she'd swallowed. "Why?"

"I just wondered whether you wanted to go and buy some baby stuff first?" Owen smiled slightly. Gwen pondered for a moment.

"Ok," she nodded.

"We can get going as soon as you're done if you like?" Gwen nodded and Owen left her to finish her breakfast.

Half an hour later they were walking the streets of Cardiff central, heading towards the big Argos in the main shopping centre.

They spent hours buying clothes and practical things like bottles, food, and nappies. They decided they'd make another trip for things like the cot and buggy. Owen had never been so domestic in his life. Before he met Gwen he ate take out most nights (usually at the Hub) and his flat was a mess. But now… he shuddered as he thought bout what he'd become. If he wasn't careful he was going to end up like his brother; annoyingly normal.

Jack thrust his hands into his pockets as he headed towards Owen's flat. He'd been thinking it over all morning, well most of the morning… when he wasn't with Ianto… when he could think straight. In truth he'd only really been thinking about what to say on the way over. Still he had a good idea of how to handle the situation. After all it wasn't the end of the world was it? Well it could be… Jack shook his head and pressed the buzzer on the front door of the block of flats.

No answer. Jack sighed and tried it again and again. In the end he gave up guessing they must've gone out somewhere. He pulled out his mobile and flipped it open. He scrolled through the names until he reached Owen's and pressed the speed dial.

"Come on, come on, pick up," he moaned to himself.

"Hello?"

"Owen! Where are you?" Jack asked.

"Shopping, why what's up?"

"Listen when you've got a minute can you and Gwen nip back to the Hub please?" Jack started walking back the way he'd come towards the Torchwood base.

"Yeah, sure, why?"

"Nothing important, just some paper work," Jack lied quickly. No point worrying them about something which wasn't a major problem.

Jack was back at the Hub within twenty minutes and sat in his office with another cup of coffee lovingly place on top of a note on his desk by Ianto. Smiling slightly he picked the cup up to read the note.

_Thought you could do with another cup. Don't work too hard._

_Ianto x_

Jack shook his head smiling slightly. Sometimes that man worried far too much. Although Jack wasn't going to complain; Ianto looked cute when he was worried.

He tried to relax whilst he waited for the doting parents to return. He even came up with a few jokes he could make next time Owen started with his smartass attitude. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he thought about it.

Ianto popped into his office from time to time with a black bag to tidy or to fetch the empty mug on Jack's desk. Jack was sure that he was coming in to tidy far too often and had the sneaking suspicion the only reason Ianto did keep wandering in was to make sure Jack knew he was still there, waiting.

Jack smiled again as he wondered how many times Ianto would wander in and out before he asked Jack what he was doing. Jack's thoughts were interrupted by Gwen and Owen finally returning to the Hub.

They walked into Jack's office looking at him expectantly, Gwen's hand resting on her stomach. Jack cast his mind back to Victorian Cardiff and wondered whether he ought to tell Gwen about her ancestor. He supposed that it would probably be the easiest way to explain about the Rift Child she was carrying inside her.

"You might want to sit down," Jack said gesturing at the two chairs.

"Why? You said it was only paperwork," Owen said not moving.

"I lied," Jack said. "Trust me you'll want to sit."

They sat slowly and Jack began with the Gwyneth who died back in eighteen sixty nine in the basement of an undertaker, saving the world from the Gelth. So far so good, they seemed to understand everything and even Gwen didn't seem too freaked to have an ancestor who was connected to the rift.

Now came the tricky bit. As he began to suggest what the dark patch might suggest he could almost see the different emotions flowing through both Gwen and Owen. He was glad that there was a desk between them or one or both of them might've punched him just to get him to stop talking.

"You mean to tell me that my child is going to be connected to the rift?" Gwen asked breathing slowly a dark look on her face. "What does that mean?"

"That she'll be twice as intelligent as the highest person in MENSA," Jack pondered for a moment. "She's likely to have some kind of telepathic powers, probably display signs of autism and is almost certainly going to act differently the closer to the rift she is. This might be the best time to take your maternity leave Gwen 'cause the rift runs straight through the Torchwood hub."

Gwen and Owen looked at him and for a moment Jack thought they were going to burst into tears. But then they both left silently, like they were possessed.

The minute they left the Hub, Ianto came down to see how Jack was. As he poked his head round the door of Jack's office he saw the other man with his head in his hand. Ianto wandered over, resting a hand on Jack's shoulder and squeezing reassuringly.

"They didn't take it well then?" He asked.

"No, they took it very well," Jack looked up at Ianto. "Which is the worst thing. Crying, screaming, shouting, and swearing I can deal with. The silent dark looks shot at me remind me too much of…"

"Too much of what?" Ianto asked when Jack trailed off.

"Too much of memories I want to forget," Jack replied standing up. He linked his fingers through Ianto's. "Come on, let's go somewhere else. We've been cooped up here for far too long."


	24. Stress

Gwen and Owen were sat back at the flat staring at the T.V. Some programme about autism was ironically showing, but neither of them were actually watching it. Both were deep in thought considering what Jack had just told them.

Gwen wondered whether having a Rift Child was a bad thing. Apart from acting slightly differently from other kids, Jack hadn't said that their child would be any kind of threat to anyone. So maybe they could make this work?

Owen was thinking along the same lines, but at the same time he was concerned about the side effects. Would they be able to deal with an autistic child? Ok, so she wouldn't technically have autism, but the behaviour would be similar. Owen hadn't been sure how he was going to cope with a child in the first place, let alone one that was… different.

Weeks passed as Gwen and Owen talked over with Jack in a bit more detail the implications of having a Rift Child. It seemed that the only potentially problematic area would be the fact that the child would need to grow up close to the rift. That meant Gwen bringing her daughter to the Hub occasionally. This would work out well for Gwen who would be able to handle work and child care easier, but there were certain things in the Hub that a young child shouldn't see.

Jack was more than willing to accommodate the situation though and began to make plans with Ianto so that the main area in the Hub would be a suitable for a child. Now almost seven months pregnant, they didn't have long.

Considering Torchwood was supposed to be a secret organisation with an underground base that fought aliens, they hadn't really done anything secret or alien related for a while. In fact all in all they seemed to have gone very domestic. Once more Jack pondered whether domesticity just came to those who tried to avoid it.

When he'd first bought Torchwood together they'd been a very broken group of people all with their own dark pasts. Now somehow, Jack seemed to have not only fixed them all but had them settled down with long term partners. If it weren't for the fact that they all seemed so happy (and work pace had doubled) he would've considered rectifying the situation.

Gwen began to close herself off though towards the end of her pregnancy. She would spend hours cooped up in the flat alone, talking to her unborn child. Owen was a little worried about Gwen's behaviour but Jack assured him that it was probably just their child testing out the telepathic connection.

Owen was a little miffed by this. Not only did Jack seem to know more about pregnant women than him, but he hadn't once had the tiniest feeling that his unborn child was trying to talk to him telepathically. He was starting to feel just a bit left out.

This didn't help him or Gwen. The distance between them grew and it wasn't long before Gwen had stopped talking altogether. It wasn't like they were annoyed with each other, they just didn't talk.

Gwen's constant mutters under her breath started to annoy Owen though and one evening when he was watching T.V and Gwen was looking out over the bay he decided he had to broach the subject.

"Gwen, can you stop muttering?" He asked. She didn't even look at him, let alone acknowledge he was talking. "Gwen?"

Owen sighed and stood up wandering over to the window.

"Gwen," he said again, touching her arm. She glanced at him.

"What?" She asked.

"Stop muttering, please? The background noise is driving me crazy," Owen said quietly.

"I'm sorry," Gwen ran a hand through her hair. "I'm just stressed."

"Yeah, you and me both," Owen agreed.

"What are you stressed about?" Gwen looked at him incredulously. "You're not the one who's nine months pregnant with a Rift Child!"

"I am the baby's father!" Owen snapped back, walking over to the sofa and flopping back down on it.

"And I'm her mother!" Gwen shot at him, folding her arms. "I think I have just a bit more reason to be stressed than you."

"Really?" Owen flicked channels. "Well, I have to deal with two nutcases."

"You what?" Gwen couldn't believe what she was hearing. She threw a magazine at the back of his head. "You call me or your child a nutcase again and I swear that I'll-"

"You'll what, Gwen?" Owen glared at her. "You're nine months pregnant with a Rift Child. What exactly are you going to do?"

Gwen looked back at him helplessly. She didn't know what she was going to do. It was an empty threat really. She just wished that Owen wouldn't make the situation any harder than it already was. She wanted to be able to talk about her worries, but there was still a part of her that remembered the arrogant git Owen was when she first joined Torchwood.

Now was not the time to doubt all the decisions she'd made. Gwen was not far off having her daughter and she should be totally sure about everything. Except she wasn't. Sighing she wandered over and sat beside Owen, who avoided her gaze.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, playing with her hands. "I just…"

She glanced at Owen.

"Forgive me?" She asked.

Owen looked at her finally and smiled slightly.

"It's my fault," he said, reaching out for her hand. "I'm making things more of a problem than they should be."

"Well yeah, but you are a man," Gwen grinned.

"Oi!" Owen complained.

"And I've won another argument!" Gwen stuck her tongue out

"How exactly have you won?" Owen asked folding his arms.

"I win an argument the minute you can't come up with a come back," Gwen replied.

Owen found he didn't have an answer to that. He simply frowned at her and tried to look mad, but failed miserably. Gwen smiled laughing slightly.

"You really are the most annoying person I've ever known," Owen said matter of factly.

"Oh really?" Gwen raised her eyebrows. "Well I-"

She paused like her voice had been taken away. Her mouth opened and closed for a few seconds.

"Are you ok?" Owen asked worriedly.

"I think… I think I'm having a contraction," Gwen gasped clutching her stomach.

"Ok, is this a bad time to mention the fact that I'm terrified about becoming a dad?" Owen blurted out, reaching for his mobile.

"Yeah," Gwen nodded. "Really bad time."


	25. Holly Cooper

Jack and Ianto were sitting in the back room of the Hub playing cards. Originally they'd been playing strip poker, but they decided after the first time Tosh walked in on them, they'd probably be better off not scaring her like that again.

So now they were just playing normal gin. Of course Jack won every time, but this didn't seem to bother Ianto. Any other person would've claimed Jack was cheating, but Ianto seemed to take it all in his stride. In fact after winning for the fiftieth time Jack started to get bored.

"How many times am I going to have to beat you before you give up?" He asked, shuffling the cards.

"At least another ten," Ianto replied after pondering the matter.

Jack laughed and dealt the cards out again.

"You really are the sweetest person I've ever met," Jack grinned as he looked at his cards.

"I do my best," Ianto smiled back.

There was a knock on the door and Tosh came in with a hand over her eyes. Jack and Ianto glanced at each other before looking back at Toshiko.

"I just got a call from Owen," Tosh said. "Gwen's gone into labour."

"You can open your eyes," Jack said trying not to snigger.

Tosh removed the hand carefully and smiled at them.

"He said he'd ring again when the baby is born," Tosh continued.

"We'll head over to the hospital when he does," Jack nodded.

Tosh left to sort out the little admin she had left. Ianto glanced at his cards and took his turn.

"Do you think they'll cope?" He asked.

"What? With a Rift Child?" Jack thought for a moment. "Yeah, Gwen and Owen have coped with harder things than this."

"I meant with being parents," Ianto said as Jack laid down a card.

"Oh, well…" Jack considered for a minute or two. "Gwen will certainly be a good mother, and Owen… well with a bit of guidance he should get there."

Ianto grinned.

"I'm sure he'd be thrilled to know how much faith you have in him," he laughed.

"I always have faith in my team," Jack laid down all his cards. "Gin."

Ianto stared for a moment and then put down his cards so Jack couldn't see them.

"You win again sir," he said tidying up the cards. Jack didn't need to know that Ianto had won several goes before.

At the hospital Owen was being as unhelpful as he could. Gwen knew he was trying, but telling her that he'd once had to deliver an alien baby didn't make her feel any better.

"Owen?" Gwen gave him a pained look. "Shut up."

"Sorry," he took Gwen's hand. "Are you ok?"

"No!" Gwen snapped. "I'm in the middle of giving birth. God would you stop asking stupid questions!"

"Sorry!" Owen was shoved out the way as several nurses came to check on Gwen.

"You're doing great," one of them said.

Gwen had to bite down hard on her tongue to stop herself snapping 'WELL I DON'T BLOODY FEEL LIKE IT!' at the nurse.

"I phoned the others, by the way," Owen said as soon as he could get close to Gwen again. "I told them I'd ring again… afterwards."

"Ok," Gwen nodded trying to stay calm.

"Do you want anything?" Owen asked, squeezing his hand gently.

"Stronger painkillers?" Gwen tried.

Several hours later Tosh received another call from Owen and she started to pack up, deciding to give Gwen and Owen a few minutes before the rest of the team headed over.

Jack and Ianto had long since stopped playing cards and were sitting in Jack's office, talking about something. It was the first time in several weeks that they'd had the chance to be together without the worry of Gwen and her baby or an alien threat.

Tosh felt almost bad about interrupting the little moment, but after half an hour she thought it best to let them know Gwen had had her baby girl.

"Jack?" Tosh said quietly. Jack and Ianto looked up. "Owen called again."

The pair stood up, walking towards her.

"Better get going then," Jack said.

As they climbed into the SUV Tosh wondered if life would ever be normal again. Then she realise that life hadn't been normal since she'd joined Torchwood, so two of its members starting a family was hardly a spanner in the works.

Jack, Ianto and Tosh were once more looking through the glass window of a hospital room at Gwen and Owen. This time it was a little happier. Gwen was holding a small baby girl with bright electric blue eyes and sandy brown hair.

Tosh went and sat with Gwen and Owen after a while looking extremely happy for the pair. Jack and Ianto didn't want to intrude, there were already enough people cooing over the child, so they stayed looking through the window, fingers linked through the others.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" Tosh asked as she watched Owen. She'd never seen him look quite as amazed as he did now. Somehow she'd never imagined him having kids either.

"Well we haven't really talked about it," Gwen said glancing from Tosh to Owen.

"Why do I get the feeling that there should be a 'but' on the end of that sentence?" Owen looked up at Gwen.

"Well because there is one name I was thinking about," Gwen said apologetically.

"What?"

"I was thinking, maybe, Holly?" Gwen suggested.

"Holly Cooper," Owen tested the name, pondering it. He grinned. "Sounds perfect."

Outside the hospital room, Jack and Ianto were talking quietly to each other.

"It seems odd to think that after everything that's happened Gwen's finally had her daughter," Ianto said quietly. "It's all over."

"See, Ianto, that's where you're wrong," Jack said looking at the other man and grinning. "It's not over, it's only just beginning."

_AN: Look out for the sequel, coming soon!!!!_


End file.
